Tainted Love
by Huntress-X
Summary: Jubilee gets involved with a certain Speed demon, is it lust or is it love? Whatever it might be the real question is, how will it end?...A Jubilee and Pietro story. Updated chapter 13!
1. Forgotten Past

**Tainted Love**

**By: Huntress-X and LostLittleGirl90**

* * *

Authors Note: This is a long story sequel to a series of Jubilee/Pietro between me and LostLittleGirl90. The chapters will be marked so you will know which one of us has done it or which part we have written.

For parts 1 and 4 and 5 go to my page and for parts 2 and 3 go to LostLittleGirl90.

Part one: Insatiable

Part two: Easy Breezy

Part three: 30 Minutes

Part four: Poison

Part five: Loves me, Loves me not

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_Forgotten Past_

"_Deep in your mind there is another side _

_A morbid truth one cannot hide _

_Unimaginable gore was your past time high _

_To hear people scream, to watch them die…" _

Jubilation Lee´s life had started out almost perfect. She had been born the third child to the Lee's, a loving and very rich family that had lived in America for just about ten years when she came along.

She lived with her parents and two older brothers in a big mansion in Beverly Hills, she went to the best school, she played the piano, she loved riding horses at the country club and she was a straight A student.

She was being raised to be a loving and happy person, and that she was. She had a lot of friends and found life to be just easy and fun, like a child should.

Yes, life was as close to perfect as it could be for a young girl who could get almost everything she wanted.

But just by the actions of two men everything would be taken away.

One night, three months after her tenth birthday, she was woken up by the sound of gunshots… four of them to be correct. She had gotten out of her bed and wandered through the large corridor, down the big stair and walked until she reached the TV- room where the rest of her family had been watching a movie that she had been too tired to see.

"Mom?" she had asked when she walked in and then only her scream was heard.

In front of her in the couch she saw her mother, father and brothers, all dead…they were all bleeding from different places making the floor look like a red sea. Their eyes were still open, filled with fear and you could see how the Lee´s had desperately tried to protect their sons from the shots.

"Mom!" Jubilation screamed and rushed over to the lifeless bodies. "Dad!" she started to shake them begging them to wake up. "Joshua! Jin!" she cried trying to make her brothers talk to her.

Her bare feet were covered in blood along with her white nightgown and the tears had started to run down her face.

Why wouldn't they wake up? Why didn't they stop bleeding? Why didn't anybody help them?

"Oh, my lord!" she heard her father's butler say somewhere in the distance, but she was to busy trying to bring her family back. "Mary, call the police and an ambulance!"

Then suddenly a pair of strong arms grabbed her and pulled her from her mother.

"Miss Lee, please calm down, there nothing you can do," The butler told her. "We have to wait for the ambulance."

Jubilee tried to get loose, but George was too strong. He turned her away from the messy scene and took her out to the kitchen were Mary, the cook, had just called the police and Lily, the nanny just came down stairs.

"George, what on earth has happened?!" she asked when she saw Jubilation´s bloody clothes.

Jubilation blocked everything out. Time just seemed to move without her; she heard the police and the ambulance come, she heard people trying to talk to her but she didn't care. All she wanted to do was rush out to her family and hope that everything was okay again, that they would sit there and watch the movie, smiling at her.

The next few days were like a blur. After the police had taken the bodies from the house a woman had come and taken her to the hospital. They had looked her over and washed her, and then she had been taken to a police station were a man and a woman from the CSI had asked her questions.

She had answered the ones she could without taking her eyes from the wall.

Then she had been taken to a place were they told her she would be staying for a few days, since she didn't have any family that could take care of her.

Those days turned into a month, and then she was placed in a foster home. She still saw a shrink everyday but she hadn't said a word since her family´s murder. She stayed with the first family for two months, than they gave up on her. The second family kept her for four months then they gave up on her as well. The third family Jubilation couldn't stand and right after her 11 birthday, and after her move in with her seventh family, she took her things and took of.

Barely 11 years old, and already out on the streets of L.A, that's when her not so perfect life really started.

She was pushed around and often beaten up by older street kids, that's how she learned how to fight. She had to live without proper food for weeks, that how she learned how to steal. And she had no one but herself, and that's how she learned how to survive.

Jubilation Lee, aka Jubilee, lived in a world of violence, drugs and everything you try to keep your kids away from. When she was 13 she followed a couple of other street kids to New York, stealing the money for the tickets, hoping for a better life over there.

Although the streets of New York were as bad as in L.A, Jubilee liked the city, especially the night clubs. Her powers seemed to evolved faster than normal, another reason why she had left L.A. Not that she knew what "normal" was suppose to be, but they seemed to grow fast. Before she had left for New York she had actually blown up a house. Well, not a house, more like an 20 floor building. Nothing had been left, it was like it had just disappeared, she hadn't meant to do it, it had just happened.

One year in New York passed by slowly and the winter seemed extra long, and extra cold. When summer finally came Jubilee turned 14, still alone and still by herself. She looked older than she was, many people mistook her for 15 or 16 and if she looked deep in her big blue eyes her soul seemed even older.

It was that summer that the cops finally caught her. Well, actually she was shot in the shoulder, taken to a hospital and that´s were they took her. She was sent to juvie, but the same day she had been planning on taking off she got a visit.

It was Professor Charles Xavier, he told her about his school, about mutants and that if she wanted to he could arrange for her to get out of juvie and come to his school instead.

Now Jubilee´s trust wasn't something you got easily. You have to earn it and even if you think that she might trust you, she doesn't, not even when she needs you. But she decided that at the moment anything was better then the streets and juvie.

That's how she ended up at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, and that's how she ended up with the X-men. Training with the X-men wasn't hard at all, all those years with the gymnastic troupe back in L.A and all those years on the streets had thought her a lot.

She kept how strong her powers really were and what she really could do with them a secret though, just shooting out some fireworks to pass a normal training session with Logan. Why she kept it a secret, she didn't really know…

"_Images of the forgotten past… _

_Your first life revealed at last _

_Now you'll find to your surprise _

_All the corpses you left behind…"_


	2. A Past and Future Secret

**:Chapter 2:**

A Past and Future Secret

Inspired by Blind Guardian's song by the same name

_'Talking about a past and future secret_

_Most called him once and future king'_

* * *

Pietro Maximoff was born in Europe, in a country named Transia. Never heard of it? Well, don't rely on him telling where in the country, or to point said country out on a map. He is, most likely, as clueless as you. Honestly, he didn't really care about where he was born, in fact, it had become a habit for him to call New York City his birthplace. After all, he had lived there for as long as he could remember.

The Maximoff-Lensherr family had lived a so-called normal life for a few years, until Pietro's mother died. He didn't remember his mother too well, she died when he was five. (2.1) But he knew she had long black hair like his twin-sister and that she wore lots of bangles around her wrist. He remembered when she danced around barefoot on the back lawn, the bangles would sound like tens of wind chimes and her long, flowing skirts would look like ocean waves. His mother danced around like that quite often.

After his mother died his father, Eric, became distant. He would leave for weeks at a time, having Magda's cousin, Django Maximoff, look after the children while he was gone. They became 'Mom and Dad' to them. It was during Eric's absence that Pietro's sister, Wanda, began showing her first signs of mutation.

At first she was just acting out, getting mad, shouting and throwing things around, throwing temper tantrums like so many kids her age. After a while she didn't have to throw stuff around by herself, they just began flying into the walls. Light bulbs exploded and windows broke, all on their own. His father, receiving frantic calls from Django and his wife, finally came and took her away.

Back then Pietro didn't understand where his sister was going. _To a better place_, was all his father ever said. He didn't remember much of it, he wasn't much older than 8 at the time. The night they took her there though, he remembered that more clearly than anything in his life. It was raining, but with no thunder or lightning. So, he heard her screams clearly, as she struggled to get loose from those strange arms. He remembered not being able to look as they pulled her towards the building, the whole time standing with his head bowed.

He didn't want her to see him crying.

---:---

Not long after that, Eric Lensherr seemed to have dropped off the face of the Earth. His son only heard from him through a call on birthdays and a random letter here and there. Nothing special really, just the usual 'Hello, how are you?' shit. Yeah, that's all those letters really were, worthless shit. By the time he turned thirteen it had become natural for him to throw the letters away without even opening them.

Until his own mutation began taking form.

There had been no previous signs what-so-ever. Even though it was obvious his sister could do **things**, he never thought he had any sort of special ability. Then one rainy, October day, he slipped in a puddle of water, running to catch the school bus. He sat there, on his hands and knees, panting and staring at the ground. Clenching his right fist he cursed loudly. He lived in the outskirts of the city, there was no way he would get to school in time._ Might as well go home_.

He got up slowly, knees hurting from the fall. The dark jeans he wore were wet and dirty, and ripped at the bottom. He cursed again and picked up his book-bag.

"Screw this shit." he muttered, spitting at the ground. It wasn't like he gave a damn about school anyway. Running a hand through his silver hair, he glanced around the abandoned street. No one. And so he began to walk home, dragging his feet along the ground as he cursed the rain pouring down on him.

What happened next was a bit of a blur. He just remembered someone grabbing his bag and pushing him to the ground. Next thing he knew he was running after said person, shouting at him. It didn't go as well as he had thought. Two blocks down he stopped, hands on his knees and panting hard. Spitting every curse he could think of he stared at the retreating back of the thief.

Pietro had never been one for long-distance running. Basketball he could do, there was limited moving-space in that game. Everyone knew that about Pietro, and everyone knew they would never meet a more arrogant and prideful person. And he wasn't about to let someone take his stuff.

So with his mind set, he began running again, but it was different. It felt easier this time, lighter, like his feet were hardly touching the ground. Thoughts were racing through his head, some he caught, other disappeared. Everything was fast-paced, even him. He was running faster than he had ever imagined possible, and risking a look to the side, he could barely make out the buildings flying past. He kept running, going faster and faster as the thief's figure came closer. It was all going at such a high speed, he didn't notice the wet ground approaching.

You know how your parents tell you to never run with scissors, because you might fall and get hurt? Or not to run around the pool, because it's wet and you'll end up slipping? Imagine running at an approximate speed of 160 kilometres an hour. Now imagine slipping on water.

Should the average passenger car, of average weight and with average brakes, drive at said speed, slip on water and try to brake, it would, approximately, roll between 100 and 150 meters before coming to a complete stop. (2.2)

Should Pietro Maximoff, weighing less than the average boy his age, run at the same speed, slip and try to stop, he would not tumble another hundred meters. He would, accidentally, fall on top of the thirty-something year old man who minutes previously had stolen his book-bag. And would in the process, retrieve said bag.

Which, if you haven't gathered already, is exactly what he did.

And from that day forward, Pietro began reading the letters he received from his father, and writing him back, telling him all about what he could do. He never thought twice about the fact that his father's letters came much more frequently once his mutation had been revealed.

---'---

Pietro Maximoff and Evan Daniels had been friends for a very long time. Since he was around 11, if Pietro remembered correctly. They shared the same preferences and liked the same sports, were always on the same team. But when you start High school, when you start becoming a teenager, you get competitive. Over sports, over grades and over girls... But a little competition didn't hurt anyone. That is until you start realising that, even if you aren't better in sports, or grades, and your friend gets the girl, you're better, no matter what.

So, he disliked Evan Daniels. Strongly.

The X-Men, on the other hand, he hated them. And, like many seventeen year olds, he wasn't really sure why. All he knew was that he really, really hated them, that he couldn't stand the thought or sight of them. He hated their fucking perfect way of acting, the fact that they didn't fight back unless the world was at stake. The fact that they would do anything to hide their true identity._ Fucking cowards_...

Mutants were superior, his father had thought him that in one of his letters. They had evolved from simple minded beings and into something... better.

"Darwin's Theory of Evolution, and what he wrote in Origin of the Species, is mostly based upon the idea of Natural selection," his seventh grade Science teacher had once said, "that those individuals in a population who are best adapted, have a better chance of leaving more descendants than the other individuals. This draws parallels to Herbert Spencer's term Survival of the Fittest..."

'Survival of the Fittest', he liked that term. They had been selected to be something bigger, something better. It was true wasn't it? Mutants were better adapted, some could survive extreme heat, others extreme cold, things that could kill humans. They had powers that could help them survive, where humans had none.

Homo sapiens, humans, might be the 'wise' and 'thinking man', which is what the Latin 'sapiens' means. Superior, from Latin 'superus', means 'that is above'. Mutants, homo sapiens superior, 'the wise man that is above'. And what every human fears, is losing their top slot in the food-chain...

---'---

Pietro stood outside the Brotherhood Boarding house. He hated that place, and couldn't understand why his father insisted on them living there. Them. The Brotherhood of minions, Brotherhood of Mutants. The group his father had shipped him off to after bailing him out of prison in New York.

He was talking to Mystique, the groups mentor, about the next steps in her oh-so-genius plan of kidnapping and impersonating Professor Charles Xavier and, by doing so, infiltrating the Xavier Institute for the Gifted, home of the X-Men. The later being the next step in her plan.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Mystique sent him an amused look at the question he raised. If he only knew half of what she had planned for the X-Men...

"Do you doubt your fathers plans, Pietro?"

"No." the teen said, staring blankly at the sky. It was beginning to rain...

"Good." she said while her yellow eyes still regarded him suspiciously. "Because if you do anything to compromise this, _son_," she said, imitating his fathers voice and stressing the word, "you will regret it."

"And how do we know they won't find out. You think the X-geeks are just going to let us 'join' their team, without any suspicion?"

"Those fools would trust Xavier with their lives." Mystique said. "And unlike some, never question his decisions." and with that she returned back inside the house.

Pietro stayed outside. He was avoiding the Brotherhood's newest member.

His sister Wanda had been recruited by Mystique, fresh out of the loony bin. He could understand she was mad, but was it necessary to try to kill him every chance she got?

Part of him hoped she did. If this was her mad, he didn't want to be around when she came face to face with their father in New York. He sighed and stared at the sky. It was raining pretty hard now.

It hadn't rained in Bayville for while, a couple of months actually. Not that he cared or anything. The weather was usually the farthest thing from his mind but right then and there, he liked it... sort of. From inside the house he could hear Wanda's shrill screams, probably directed at Toad. He really didn't want to go back in there...

Casting one final look at the sky he pulled the hood of his sweater up and took off. Where was he going? He didn't know, and he never thought twice about the 'not running around the wet edge of the pool' thing. Believe you me, by the time he'd be done running, done thinking, he'd look like he'd been to hell and back.

_'My song of the end_

_I can't stop the darkening clouds_

_I saw it all'_

--'--

2.1; Actually, Magda died when the twins were born. And she and the gypsy Django Maximoff weren't related as far as I know.

2.2; Okay, I'm not 100 sure about this one. I tried finding something on the Internet but in the end found nothing and used the answer my dad gave me...

Italics at the beginning and end of the chapter are from Blind Guardian's 'A past and future secret', just random lines I felt were appropriate to include.

------------------


	3. Easy Breezy

**:Chapter 3:**

Easy Breezy

Inspired, and for most part written to, Utada Hiakru's song by the same name

_"I still remember the ways that you touched me __  
__Now I know I don't mean anything to you __  
__  
__Soon you'll mean exactly nothing to me __  
__Does that mean anything to you"_

* * *

As she entered the cafeteria of Bayville High school _the morning after_, Jubilation Lee frowned. True, Bayville High, or any high school for that matter, was generally considered Hell On Earth, but that had nothing to do with why the sixteen year old Asian was so glum. Her friends sat beside her, blissfully ignorant and chatting away about the usual; Boys, make-up and how their teachers were insane, giving them _that_ amount of homework.

But Jubilee couldn't focus long enough to participate. She was too busy trying to mutilate the cafeteria lunch, stabbing it with a spork. Gods, she wanted to scream! To scream, to wipe that permanent smirk off Pietro Maximoff's face.

Yes, _him._

Well, she'd certainly done it this time. Taking a joyride in the X-Jet at night, with no teachers present, was childsplay compared to the shit she had managed to get into this time. She cast a stray glance at the white haired teen who was too busy laughing with the Brotherhood to notice. _Thankfully._

Oh, but she could only imagine what they were laughing at. Her, without a doubt. 'The silly, little X-Geek who had a crush on him. Silly little X-Girl who had let him inside, let him in her room, let him...

Jubilee's train of thought came to an abrupt halt, the plastic fork braking in two. One of her friends gave her a questioning look, face scrunched up.

"Geez, what's got you so wound up, Jubes?"

Jubilee's face hardened. She didn't want to tell anyone. _Ugh. _This was driving her mad! She wanted to talk to someone, of course she did! She'd just slept with a guy for Christ's sake! But she didn't want to admit that she had, that she had let Pietro Maximoff...

"It's nothing. Just pissed about an assignment." she muttered, staring at the table.

The other girls nodded in agreement. If ever there was an answer that would never lead to further questioning, that would be the one. Who doesn't get pissed off when a teacher gives you an assignment, say, about researching the five world religions and comparing their views on five different subjects, due to be delivered three weeks later? It was fool proof.

Now back to the matter at hand. Jubilee was currently plotting how to avoid the speedster, and the rest of the Brotherhood for that matter, for the rest of her life. So far, she'd come up with two options; a) home schooling at the Institute, or b) running away to India. For the record, she was leaning more towards India.

'_Wow...' _she thought with a heavy sigh. This had to be the most fucked up thing she'd gotten herself into in years. She glared at Maximoff where he sat, all the way across the cafeteria. God, how she hated every fibre of him, how she hated what had happened. How could she have been so foolish, to let him in?! ... Sure it was raining outside and he looked like he had gone to hell and back, soaking wet, but she still shouldn't have. Living on the streets had thaught her so much better.

Really, she only had herself to blame, for falling for his act. Falling for him... She shook her head violently, as though she was shaking the mere thought out of her head. Fall for him?! That was the first thing today to make her laugh. _Ridiculous_.

However, and she would never _ever_ admit this out loud, she had, well, enjoyed it. She could still remember how soft his pale skin was, incredibly careful he had been, as if the last thing he wanted was to hurt her... But in afterthought, those were the things that made her want to throw up when she looked at him.

She made a sound of disbelief, not caring that her friends were look oddly at her. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she had forgotten they were there.

Him, not wanting to hurt her? Please, it was probably the only reason he had been there, trying to mess with her head. Yeah, this was all part of some new physiological warfare tactic the Brotherhood were trying out. It had to be...

She really didn't want it to be anything else. Going in and out of her home, getting what he wanted. She didn't mean anything, couldn't possibly. The guy had left a fucking note for her! She doubted he could sink any lower and then she remembered what she'd heard;

_It was late, or early, probably around four in the morning. Any other night Jubilation Lee would be sleeping like a stone, but not tonight. Of all things, the ringing of a cellphone had woken her up. At first, she thought it to be odd, she always turned her cell off at night. Then she saw the shadowed figure in her room, fumbling to find the phone, and she remembered._

_She wanted to say something, but couldn't think of the words. What do you say when you wake up after sex? So instead she pulled the covers over her head, and listened._

_It was almost impossible to make out what the person on the other end of the call was saying, but Pietro Maximoff receiving a phone call at this time of night couldn't be good. _

"_Look, it's all under control. They'll never see it coming."_

_Jubilee's hands were clamped over her mouth, to keep herself from blurting anything out._

"_I know, I... Look, she won't be any trouble ... all right, maybe she will ... Hey, Mystique's the one who brought her here!"_

_She couldn't hear much but static from the other side of the line, but she could have sworn she heard the person mention New York, and mention the X-Men._

"_Mystique says the X-Geeks won't be a problem, says they'll buy everything she says ... About New York, don't you ... No, the Brotherhood doesn't have a clue... No problem, just ... Fine."_

_She blinked a few times, pulling her hands away, as he hung up. Well, that was an odd conversation. However, she had been right about New York, not to mention that if it had something to do with the X-Men... This couldn't be good._

_She stared as Pietro dressed, arguing with herself on whether or not she should say something, let him know she was awake... Ask him what the call was about. It was all so confusing. _**All of it. **_She watched as he went through some of her desk-drawers, biting her tongue to keep from yelling at him to stop snooping through her things. And she lay there speechless as he scribbled something on a piece of paper and took off, not sparing her a second glance._

'_Damn it!_' she slammed her hand, palm down, on the cafeteria table. What had she been thinking? Of all the nights the sensible and logical part of Jubilation Lee would chose to take time off, it had to be last night? The part of her mind, which at the moment was giving her hell for falling for his lame act. For letting him in, and for still thinking about him afterwards.

'_He's not worthy of your time.' _she told herself. _'Son of a bitch...' _For God's sake he left her a note! You don't leave people a note after you sleep with them... That was sewer-low, scum. _And yet, he could probably go lower._ This was, after all, Pietro Maximoff. A person who would stoop as low as to betray his own team mates, why would he care about some random girl?

Wait, betray the Brotherhood...?

Her own mind was messing with her. _Where did that come from? Well... _Once again she thought back to what she had heard the night before, her eyes drifting, on their own accord, to the all too familiar white-haired head across the room. She processed it all, forcing herself to remember every detail of that call... Something was going to happen in New York City, and the Brotherhood knew nothing about it.

His eyes locked with hers. _Shit._ It made her face flush with anger, the way he smirked at her. It felt like her body temperature had gone up in flames. He looked so damn smug, raising an eyebrow at her. _Double shit._ The last thing she needed was for him to think she had a crush on him or something. Because, you know, she didn't. She hated him.

'_Yeah...'_ she thought, sighing and staring back down at the table.

"Jubilee." a voice said, waving a hand in front of her face. She didn't react. "Jubilee!"

Startled, she nearly feel off of her chair. "What?"

"There's a guy staring at you..." the blond girl whispered, leaning over the table. Jubilee clenched her jaw.

"Oh?" she asked carefully. "Who?"

"God, I don't know his name...! That guy, you know, with the weird, white hair."

Jubilee lifted her shoulders in shrug, smiling to herself as she shook her head. "I have no idea who your talking about." she paused, casting a glance at the other girls she was sitting with.

"You guys up for a trip to the mall after school?"

There was nothing a little shopping therapy couldn't cure. _Absolutely nothing..._

The word "okay" is the single most used word on Earth.(3.1) And here I was thinking it was '"fuck"... Then again, at the rate Pietro Maximoff was going at it, would only be a matter of time before it was. And all because of goddamn Jubilation Lee, an X-Geek he had never before deemed worthy of his time.

He always thought he'd leave it to Lance to screw the girls of the Xavier Institute (though he **knew** he hadn't gotten any from Pryde). So why had he slept with the Firecracker? Good question, which I'm sure he'll get back to you on, once he clears his mind of some other things.

Like New York City, like the fact that his father was planning to expose the X-Men as mutants by having giant killer robots attack them in broad daylight. Not only that, now he had to worry about his psychopathic sister, who he was certain would try to kill him any chance he got. How he wished Jubilation Lee was his biggest problem.

But he couldn't think. Around him people were talking, loudly. The rest of the Brotherhood was laughing at some joke, like the blissfully ignorant idiots they were. Part of him wanted to be like them, with out too much care, but for most part he would rather like to know what was going to happen.

Yeah, nobody had bothered to tell them about New York. His father didn't see them worthy, he had already found a new band of minions, the Acolytes or something. And him? He knew his father didn't give a damn about the Brotherhood anymore, not even Mystique. And he knew that if he didn't let them in on it, they couldn't fuck it up, and he would become part of the Acolytes.It was all about self-preservation.

He could see Jubilation Lee across the cafeteria, head bowed. For a second he pitied her, but only for a second. It wasn't like this was all his fault, she never tried to stop him. Typical girls to read to much into things. Really what had she expected, to find him there when she woke up, to say something sweet and loving? _Women..._

If she wanted some kind of commitment she was better off screwing one of the X-Men, not him.

However, he had, like her, enjoyed it. Hell, what wasn't there to enjoy? He's a teenage boy, she's a teenage girl (..._can I make it any more obvious...), _it's completely natural. But he really didn't need this right now. Not when his father was downright trying to destroy them. Now there where two raven haired girls planning to kill him. ... ... He had to make sure they never met.

_All about self-preservation._

_"You came and went and left my house __  
__Like a breeze just passing by __  
__  
__Soon you'll mean exactly nothing to me"_

"So, where to next?" Jubilee asked as the three girls came out from a store at the Bayville Mall.

"Don't you ever get tired?" Amy Wayne asked her friend as she put her shopping bags down to put her long blonde hair in a ponytail.

"Not when it comes to this." Jubilee said with a smile, as she gestured to the bags.

"Well the mall closes in like an hour, and I want to get something to eat before that." Kylie Brown said and looked at her two friends. "Let's go to the food court."

"Sure." Jubilee sighed. "I just want to check out one more store, but you guys go ahead. I´ll find you later."

"Okay!" Kylie said, and she and Amy headed towards the food court.

Jubilee turned and headed the other way, over to a jeweller store to get some really nice earrings she had seen earlier that day. Going shopping had really helped her to get her mind of Pietro. She had found two tops and a skirt on sale, and she had found a new pair of shoes that would look really nice along with the new skirt.

She walked into the store and gave the owner a smile, which wasn't returned._ 'What´s her problem?'_ Jubilee thought when she saw the owner suddenly smile up to a middle aged woman. She didn't need the whole "Just because they serve you, doesn't mean they like you" thing today, _not at all_...

"I´ll give you something to smile about." Jubilee muttered to herself and walked over to the table where the earrings she wanted were displayed. She picked them up and placed them near her ear and looked in a mirror like she was trying to see how they would look on her. In the mirror she could see the owner busy with helping the other woman. _'Perfect.'_ Jubilee thought and very smoothly managed to get the earrings down in her bag.

When you had done it as many times as she had, it really was a piece of cake. Smiling to herself, Jubilee left the store. She was just about to head to the food court when she saw Kitty, Amara and Jean going into a clothing store not far away. She raised her hand to wave and call for them when suddenly what felt like a cold wind passed by, making her hair fall all over her face.

"Nice move." a very familiar voice said from behind her. Jubilee sighed in pure irritation and turned around, facing the white haired teen behind her.

"Nice move?" She asked, trying to sound normal, although she really wanted nothing more than to smack him across the head with her shopping bags. In a flash Pietro´s hand went down her handbag and came up again with her earrings.

"I meant this." he said with a cocky grin, holding up the earrings. "So, does the Professor train you guys to steal too?"

"Give them back!" Jubilee hissed and tried to take them away from him. Sadly, like always, he was to fast. "Can you ever be anything else but stupid?" Jubilee asked, feeling like she was six years old and an older kid had taken her candy, as she tried to grab the earrings from him. "Don't you have anywhere else to be?"

That made him stop and look at her, still with that smirk on his face.

"Like were?" he asked, leaning over so his face was only a few inches away from hers. "Your bed?"

Jubilee could feel how her powers were building up inside her, and she wanted nothing more then to blow him right through the wall and out on the parking lot. But, she forced herself to calm down because, one, she knew what would happen if she lost control and two, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing how much his comment had actually hurt.

"Yeah, sorry, normally only guys who can last for more than **TEN** minutes get to spend time in my bed." Jubilee said with one of her more bitchy smiles, placing her hands on her hips. "Oh, and they have to be good-looking too."

"Nice comeback." was all he managed, and lowered the hand with the earrings, so that Jubilee could take them.

"I was only telling the truth." Jubilee said and put the earrings back down in her handbag.

"So, a whole night is ten minutes to you?" Pietro asked.

"It is when I don't feel anything." she shot with a sly smile.

"And yet your moaning got me thinking me we would wake up the neighbors."

"Well, when you think of Johnny Depp, the moans just come by themselves."

At that Pietro grabbed her by the shoulders and leaned in close, like he didn't want anyone to hear. "I bet that before you know it, you'll be back, begging for more" he whispered in her ear and then, before she could blink, he was gone.

Jubilee turned around, muttering not so nice words under her breath, when she suddenly noticed Jean staring at her. When the redhead noticed Jubilee was looking back at her, she turned her attention back to the store like she was looking for someone else. _'Oh, God ,I hope she didn't see that.'_ Jubilee thought as she spun around and headed to meet Amy and Kylie.

Jubilee didn't feel like having dinner with the rest of the people at the Institute that evening when she came home. She told Ororo that she had eaten at the mall, although she had only had a coke before the three girls had left. It was on her way down to the kitchen to get something to eat before bedtime that she ran into Kitty and Jean in the kitchen.

"Hi!" Kitty greeted with a smile, as she put her glass in the dishwasher. "I didn't see you at dinner."

"I wasn't that hungry then" Jubilee muttered, and walked over to the fridge, pulling it open.

"Lucky you." Kitty said, and wrinkled her nose. "We had leftover night, and most of the things left were food that Kurt and Scott had helped with."

"Yeah lucky me." Jubilee said with a sigh, and took out a piece of the pizza she had ordered last night. She had cleverly hidden it in a box marked 'broccoli soup', knowing that that way no one else would even look in it.

"Well I´m going to the rec. room and taking over the TV from Bobby." Kitty sighed. "See ya."

"Yeah." Jubilee said and put the pizza in the microwave, and suddenly there was a very awkward silence in the kitchen. When the pizza was done, Jubilee sat down across from Jean and started to eat, but didn't say a word.

"So," Jean suddenly said and Jubilee looked up, "find anything cool at the mall?"

"Yeah…" Jubilee said knowing very well where the conversation was going. "You?"

"New shoes." the redhead said with a smile.

"Oh." Jubilee said and the kitchen went back to being silent.

"I saw you talking to Pietro" Jean said, trying to make it sound like it wasn't a big deal.

"Talking?" Jubilee said in a sarcastic tone. "More like trying to get away. He´s so annoying."

"That he is."

"Yeah, you know how he is. He's really treats everyone like dirt, especially if you´re from the Institute."

"He does." Jean said with a smile and seemed happy with the explanation Jubilee had given her. Jubilee was pleased too. It had sounded so much better than 'I slept with him'.

"Well I´m going to go and find Scott." Jean said and stood up. She cast a glance at the younger girl. "He…eh…has my history book."

"Yeah sure." Jubilee said and watched as the red head beauty left the kitchen. "I wish love and relationships were that cute and nice for me..."

_(3.1) This is true actually, pretty widely known. Says so on_


	4. Let it Die

**Chapter 4**

Let it Die

"_Let it die, and get out of my mind_...

_The tragedy starts from the very first spark_

_Losing your mind for the sake of your heart "_

* * *

Jubilation Lee had just had an epiphany; Daytime television really did suck as bad as people said it did. This realisation dawned when she found out they were no longer showing reruns of Bewitched and I Dream of Jeanie, or even Oprah.

It seemed every channel had been taken over by the same crappy soap-operas. So now she sat alone in the rec. room watching the only thing she could find worthy of her time, an Italian dub of Bridget Jones' Diary.

Most of the New Recruits were outside playing baseball while the X-Men were having a Danger Room session with Wolverine. Jubilee had skipped her gymnastics practice, excusing herself with too much homework.

Well, she did in fact have homework, but not so much that it would come in the way of practice. Part of her had really wanted to go, but she knew that having Taryn Fujioka in her face was the exact opposite of what she needed.

Yep, Taryn was on her gymnastics team. In fact, Taryn had been the best gymnast Bayville High had seen in years, until Jubilee showed up. Back in L.A., before her parents died, Jubilation Lee had been training since she was a kid, and her trainer often said she could one day make it to the Olympics.

Safe to say, Taryn had not taken it well when Jubilee joined the team and suddenly became the coach's favourite.

So she stayed home. Sadly, she quickly found that her thoughts were too scattered for trigonometry, and it made her regret skipping practice. It was really pissing her off, because she knew the equations were easy and that she could solve them in minutes.

But instead of doing them she stared at the screen, trying to translate whatever it was Renée Zelleweger was saying.

--'--

Rain.

It was the third day in a row it had been pouring from heavy clouds above Bayville. During the day it would be miraculously sunny for late November, but it seemed that once the school hours where over the sky turned grey. If only it would snow, maybe they could stay home from school some day.

The New Recruits were on their way inside, she knew none of them were keen on getting caught in the rain. Maybe they should have a word with Ororo Munroe about it, after all, she did control the weather and could certainly turn the clouded frown upside down.

She could hear the footsteps off her friends coming closer, and then the door opening. She didn't care much, she was actually rather engrossed with the movie, but she did catch Bobby Drakes familiar voice call out that he didn't need to change to dry clothes. Although, really, it just went in one ear and out the other.

"Man, it's really coming down hard out there," he said, but Jubilee didn't spare him a glance. "You think Storm's PMSing or something?"

At that she turned her head, sending him a viscous glare. _Boys..._

"So..." he scratched the back off his head, before deciding to join her on the couch. "What're ya watchin'?"

"A movie," she muttered.

"_Daniel, quello che mi hai appena fatto non è legale in alcuni paesi."_

Bobby sent her an odd look, one eyebrow raised. Jubilee continued to pay him no attention, too busy cursing the Italian network station for not putting english subtitles. She pulled her knees to her chest and crossed her arms, while Bobby put his feet on the coffee table. And he was whistling.

It was Jubilee's turn to look oddly at her friend, but before she had time to come up with a good remark to throw his way, Bobby had snatched the TV remote from right in front of her face.

"Hey, I was watching that!" she shouted as he switched channels, and in the next second flung a pillow at him. Bobby only laughed it off.

"Yeah, well I'm not spending my time watching some French crap."

"It's Italian, you overgrown Popsicle." He burst into hysterical fits as Jubilee crossed her arms once more and gave him the expression of a scorned three year old.

"You're **so** gonna have to make that up to me, Drake," she muttered.

"Really?" he asked with a grin. "Well, how 'bout we go to the mall tomorrow? Maybe catch a movie or something?"

Jubilee stared. "What?"

"You know, in English this time."

"I got that part, I just... Are you asking me out?"

"Well," he scratched the back of his head, fumbling for words. It was kinda cute, when she thought about it. "You know, you've been looking really down since we left you alone here, Jubes. I thought you might need some cheering up."

Jubilee bit her lip. _Is it that obvious that something is wrong?_ She could only imagine how easily Jean or the Professor could read her, if Bobby (a guy who was usually as clueless as... well... any other guy) could tell so easily.

"So I guess you could call it a... a date."

"You know, I think I'd like that," she said, flashing him a smile. "I think I'd like that very much."

"So, tomorrow? After Danger Room?"

"Sounds great."

"FREEDOM!"

Both their heads snapped towards the door, recognising the voice as Kurt Wagner's. Outside the room Jubilee could hear footsteps and the familiar voice of Nightcrawler along with the rest of the X-Men. Her gaze shifted from the door to Bobby, back and forth a few times. She grinned.

"We'll talk later, okay?"

And with that she was out of the rec. room before he could think of something intelligent to say, and only called 'Okay!' after her.

Down the hall she could see the boys and the girls parting ways to their respective dorms. She could only make out some of their conversation as she calmly walked up to the girls.

"He's never ended a session just like that," Kitty muttered, as the three female members of the X-Men made their way towards their rooms. "We weren't even halfway through..."

"What are ya complainin' for Kitty?" Rogue asked, her southern drawl ever present. "Ah for one have nuthin' against some free time. Danger Room is startin' wear me out."

Jean nodded her agreement and then turned, like she already knew Jubilee was coming up behind them.

"Hey guys!" the younger girl greeted with a wide smile. She didn't need the red haired telepath on her case again. "Have any of you seen Logan?"

"He's down in the hangar, Firecracker," Rogue replied. "Think he's goin' somewhere though, so yah might wanna..." she continued, but before she could finish Jubilee was already out of sight.

"What's up with her?" Kitty asked, as Jean shook her head and stared at the floor.

--'--

"Wolvie?" the young Asian called out into the hangar room, a soft echo reaching her ears. The place was so huge.

"Over here kid." she could hear Logan's gruff voice call back from the other side of the vast space. She found him hunched over his bike, doing something that looked like tightening a bolt from her viewpoint.

"Are-are you going somewhere?" she carefully asked, her mind telling her that this might not have been a good time.

"Yeah, I gotta go check on somethin', squirt."

"I-I have to talk to you about something."

A paused followed, and Logan put the still-unidentified tool down. He turned his head and looked at her, eyes searching her face. She stared at the floor.

"What about, kid?"

_Deep breath, Lee, deep breath. _"About the Brotherhood. And Magneto."

Logan's face seemed to grow harder, his jaw clenching. And she could see his adamantium claws threaten to pop out at the mention of the name. "What about 'em?"

"I-I think they're planning something, something big," she whispered, knowing that Wolverine could hear her loud and clear. "Something's going to happen in New York city."

"How do you know this, Jubilee?"

Her eyes went wider when he said her name, in such a serious tone. His eyes matched his voice, as if he was telling her that it was a serious accusation she was coming with. Telling her that this better be something she was sure of.

"I overheard some talking, a phone call."

"Between who, kid?"

"Pietro Maximoff was at one end."

"And the other?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

Silence. She hadn't thought this far, she had assumed it was Magneto. Who else could it have been?

"I don't know for sure," she said, straightening up a bit.

Logan sighed, running a hand through his hair. Even though she wasn't a telepath, his thoughts were obvious to her. She could hear it in his voice, and see it on his face. Doubt.

But he sighed, and it felt like a weight had been lifted off of her. He was giving her a chance.

"What were they sayin'?"

That was it, the question that would make or break her, determine whether or not this whole thing was actually a threat or a misconception. She took deep breaths.

"I'm not sure, I could only hear one end," he looked at the ground as she finished. Her fist balled up, angered that he would give up on her so easily. "But Quicksilver mentioned the X-Men! He said that Mystique said that we wouldn't be any problem! He said that the Brotherhood knew nothing about it, that we'll never see it coming!"

"Calm down, Firecracker," he muttered, and her hands fell limp by her side. "The guy's from New York, just like Evan," he reminded her. "How do you know he wasn't talkin' to some friend there?"

"At four in the morning?!" Jubilee snapped. Logan stared at her, watched her face go from flushing with anger to pale realisation. _Oh God... _Her lips parted, wanting to say something.

"I-I'm sorry," she muttered weakly, staring at the floor. "I..." She could hear him sighing, getting on his bike and putting his helmet on.

"It's your life kid. Your choices." _Liar. _He was so disappointed, she could hear it in his voice. She felt like crying, and knew if she looked at him she would. He continued nonetheless. "If you really think somethin's goin' down, go talk to Chuck about it. I gotta go."

The key turned in the ignition, the all to familiar sound filling the hangar room. Her eyes lifted from the floor as she watched him kick off, and she felt compelled to say something, to explain. But he was gone and out of sight before she could muster the courage.

"Damn it!" she shouted, throwing an energy plasmoid the size of a baseball at the closing door.

Pietro saw how the X-men sneaked into the mall looking for them. He saw how they split up and went to search for them, and most of all he saw Lance grabbing Kitty the first chance he got, telling her to leave. Was he an idiot or what? Why the hell did he have to warn and X-man? It was not like Wanda was going to kill them…knock unconscious maybe but not kill. She wasn't that kind of person, okay the day she would meet Magneto there was really no telling what she would do…well at least she hadn't killed him.

Pietro had never understood why Lance didn't just give up the idea of getting Kitty. Is what not like he got anything for running after her, except for that ONE date to the dance. And even if she did decide to date him he would probably have to live on kisses until the day he married her, not that either of that was ever going to happen.

Pietro had never liked girls like Kitty and he never would, actually he had always thought that the X-girls were pretty boring…well until Jubilee had come.

They had all heard that the X-men had taken in new recruits so when the X-men and their new friends arrived at school that sunny Monday morning the members of the Brotherhood were all standing by a window looking down at the new members of their rival team.

And that had been the first time he had seen her, she had stood out from the others with the low cut jeans, bright yellow tub top and the black leather jacket, and of course a bigger and worse attitude then all of the X-geeks had together. By the second week she was already in detention almost as much as he was and she thought of more practical jokes the he ever thought was possible and as a plus she got away with 80 of it.

He sighed and leaned against a wall when he saw Nightcrawler walking into a clothing store.

Time for some fun

And sure it was fun…until he got thrown into a wall and hundreds of shoes landed on top of him. When he had managed to get up on his feet's again, he hurried out of the store just in time to see Wanda make her entrees. He hated the fact that Wanda was stronger than him but it was worth to have a look when the X-men finally got their asses kicked. He rushed down to the bottom floor and before he knew it Jean came flying thru the air and almost landed on him.

"Having problems?" He asked with a smirk.

"No more then you are going to have" The redhead told him as she got up and for a few seconds she was on her knees infront of him.

"Why so cranky?" He asked. "Many girl would be happy to be were you are"

"Just shut up" Jean said and started to go back to help the others. "No one of us normal girls would be happy about that"

"Well not all of your little X-people feels that way" He said with a big smile as Jean turned around to give him a strange look. "Better fight for your life now" he told her before he took of to join the other members of the Brotherhood who were in a more quit area of the mall, waiting for Wanda to finish.

The X-men had been gone just a little more then an hour when the door suddenly flew open. Jubilee who had been on her way to her room almost jumped as Cyclops stormed inside the house. She had been planning on talking to the Professor but then they had gotten the alarm that the Brotherhood had been in the Bayville mall and there really hadn't been anytime to talk.

When she saw the expressions on the X-men´s faces she didn't need a second guess to understand what had happened…they had lost. The Brotherhood boys had been hard to beat a few times but they had never lost against them before and from the looks of it they took it hard…Like get over it Jubilee felt like yelling at them. If you lost all you had to do was get up and try again, when she had been on the streets there hadn't been anytime for her to be sad about it, not that there had been anytime for her to make mistakes either…She just guess that this wasn't a time to talk to the Professor now and she didn't really want to, he had been acting a little bit weird lately, had to be the whole Magneto thing.

Jubilee sighed and started to go up the stairs to her room. Whatever was going to happen in New York wasn't good and whatever it was, it was sure going to be a surprise since she couldn't talk to anyone about it.


	5. Keeping it together

**Chapter 5**

**Keeping it together**

Inspired by Katy Rose's song by the same name

"_And all the Prozac that I take,_

_Is only lulling me to make up,_

_This forced smile that is fake for all the doctors."_

* * *

"**YOU BLEW UP THE MALL?!"**

Jubilation Lee's voice could be heard throughout the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. The X-Men, to whom her outburst was directed, looked like a group of five year olds getting a particularly hard lecture from their mother. Jean and Scott kept exchanging glances, and Jubilee assumed they were communicating telepathically.

"You blew up **the Mall?!**" she repeated, half hysterical.

"We didn't blow it up,_ per se_," Kitty said, fiddling with her hair. She tried her best to make it sound like no big deal... It wasn't convincing anyone. "It was more like, you know, thrashing."

Amara, who was there with Jubilee, along with Rahne, glared at them, hands on her hips. "I hardly believe that."

"You **better**, Princess," Rogue hissed at her. Her arms were crossed over her chest, a dangerously narrow glare in her eyes. It was obvious she, like the other X-Men, were sore about not being able to beat the Brotherhood. Still glaring, she added, "You weren't even there."

"Rogue's right. And it wasn't even our fault, man," Evan added, crossing his arms. "It was that damn new chick form the Brotherhood."

"The who now?" Rahne asked, eyebrow raised.

"Some psycho girl," Kitty muttered, the disdain in her voice obvious.

"Who tried to kill us!" Kurt added dramatically, earning nods from the youngest X-Men.

"Ah dunno about the killin' part," Rogue muttered, pushing her bangs away from her face. She turned, and casting a glance at them over her shoulder, she added; "But that new girl, sure as **hell** ain't all good up in the head," before leaving the group.

"Rogue's right," Jean said once the southern girl was gone. Jubilee couldn't help but wonder if she was too small a person to admit it in front of her. "Her thoughts were a complete mess."

"You tried to read her mind?" Amara asked.

"**Tried** would be the keyword. Whenever we used our powers, she would turn them against us. I only got a small flash."

Jubilee frowned. If anything, this only fuelled her earlier suspicions about the Brotherhood planning something. With a cloud of gloom hanging over her head she made her way back to the bedroom she shared with Rahne, all the while thinking about this mysterious new Brotherhood member.

"_Mystique's the one who brought her here!"_

Was that who Pietro had been talking about? Some psycho mutant girl, who could use their powers against them? Well, this was something she **certainly **hadn't seen coming.

**--:--**

The next morning, Saturday, the New Recruits were gathered in the rec. room. It was still raining outside, so hanging out in downtown Bayville wasn't an option for them. Thankfully, the Professor had decided on extra training sessions for the X-Men, and with Wolverine still out of town, the New Recruits didn't have training.

"I still can't believe they trashed the mall," Amara muttered from her spot on the couch, back leaning against the armrest and feet resting on Roberto's lap.

'_They are so obvious_, Jubilee thought as she rested against the base of the armchair currently occupied by Rahne. _So cute..._

She had to admit though, she agreed with Amara. She had really looked forward to her "date" with Bobby, knowing it would probably cheer her up.

Jubilee hadn't been as much up for fun today as she usually would have been. She couldn't shake the feeling that if she spoken to the professor about her suspicions earlier, things might have gone differently. And now she feared that what happened in the Mall only made up a small part of the allusive Plan.

However, she just hadn't been able to refuse when Rahne offered to make some tea for her (it was widely known that Rahne made herbal tea like no other) and Jamie asked her to play cards with him.

And she had to admit, it was rather nice like this, just the seven of them, especially when they were in total control of the TV.

Now, if only she could actually win a game of Go Fish...

"Oh, come on!" Bobby piped up, looking up from his magazine at Amara. "It's not their fault the Brotherhood tricked 'em."

"Man, you're just saying that to get on their good side," Ray muttered, "hoping they'll let you run with the big guys."

Bobby smirked. "So? I can't help that I'm better X-Men material than the rest of you!"

They others protested, starting another of the usual "I'm better than you" arguments the New Recruits were known for. Jamie even tore himself away from the card game long enough to fling a pillow in Bobby's face.

"Hey, it's not my fault I'm more powerful than you guys put together," the blond said, shrugging casually.

Jubilee scoffed, and handed over the 7 Jamie had asked for. _If he only knew... _She was pretty sure she could take Bobby down without breaking a sweat if she wanted too... She could, honestly! But she wasn't about to announce to the world just how much power her "fireworks" were actually packing.

"What, you don't think Bobby could make a good X-Man, Jubes?" Ray asked, having heard her, and the rest of the New Recruits turned their attention to her. Mentally she groaned, wanting nothing more than to reach over and smack Ray over the head. On the outside she kept her cool and just smiled behind her hand of cards.

"Not at all. I'm just sayin' he better not be insulting the rest of us," she paused, her smile taking a wicked turn. "That is, if he wants to keep his natural hair colour."

Laughs erupted all around the rec. room, and Jubilee, content with herself took another sip from her cup. "Man, Ice cube," Ray shook his head as he spoke, "your girlfriend is one piece of work."

Jubilee nearly choked on her tea. _**GIRLFRIEND?!**_

--:--

Scott Summers was not a 'splitt-second decision' kind of guy. He was the responsible, leader type who always thought things through, so that there would be minimum casualties. Or, in this case, minimum orange paint-stains on his X-men uniform. He always thought the fact that he never rushed his decisions in a battle was the reason Professor Xavier had chosen him as team leader for the X-Men. Maybe he had been wrong.

"You're stalling Cyclops," Xavier's voice cut through, from the speakers above. "Magneto won't be sitting around waiting for you to decide on tactics. Make a move or relinquish command to Jean."

His eyes narrowed behind the visors he wore. _'So maybe the 'think it through' tactic isn't working out.'_

"All right guys," he said, looking over what remained of his team. Jean, Kitty and Evan. It could be worse, right? Right? "We're gonna rush him."

Not a good idea...

-

"What were you thinking?!" Xavier fumed, and Scott couldn't bring himself to look past the floor. "You cannot try to surprise Magneto in battle, Scott. He will always be two steps ahead!"

"Ya don't need ta go down so hard on us," Rogue muttered. She had expected at least one nod of agreement, but it seemed the other X-Men had their faces glued to the walls of the Danger Room. "Wha are ya puttin' us through this exercise anyway?"

The Professor rubbed his temples, sighing in annoyance. "Because I needed to know for sure whether or not you're ready to face Magneto." He faced the X-Men. "Obviously, you're not."

"I think we are," Scott argued, not able to hold his tongue.

"Really?" Professor Xavier asked, an amused smile on his face. "You think you can defeat Magneto, when you can't even take down the Brotherhood?"

"It is as I feared," he continued. The X-Men stayed silent, occasionally glancing at each other. "I have decided it is time to bolster your ranks. Meet your new team mates."

The sound of gasps and dropped jaws filled the room as the elevator doors slid open. _No way..._

"They're supposed to be our new team mates?!" Scott exclaimed, furious and confused as the Brotherhood, newest member included, sauntered through the doors.

"You have to be joking, Professor!" Kitty said, moving forward. "They're our enemies!"

"Aw, don't be like that, Kitty-kat," Lance said, smiling at her.

"Yeah, you didn't mind Lance when you went out last weekend," Pietro commented, moving in a blur behind her back.

"Why don't you just-, just-," she glared, and shoved him out of her way, turning her back on the boys as her cheeks began to burn. Why did Lance have to be such a jerk? And why the hell did he let Pietro talk to her like that? She was biting her tongue to keep from screaming. _MEN!_

"Why are you guys volunteering for this anyway?" Evan asked, crossing his arms. "You don't like us anymore than we like you."

"We got our reasons," Quicksilver countered, mirroring Evan's stance.

"Boys..." Rogue muttered to herself as Toad hopped forward.

"Yeah, maybe it's be kind to losers week," he said, and Wanda groaned where she stood, leaning against the wall.

"And from what I've seen it looks like you people can use a new team leader," Lance continued, pointing at Scott. The older teen was nearly shaking in anger.

"Yeah, well guess what "Shakedown", you can have the job," Scott said, grabbing Lance by the front of his uniform. "I'm done with this."

And with that he stormed out.

"I should go after him..." Jean muttered, sending the Professor a near pleading look.

"There's no point, Jean. He will only slow the team down," Xavier countered. "Now come, we need to continue searching for Logan. The rest of you, I expect you to get along while you train."

**--:--**

The minute she had seen the Brotherhood arrive, Jubilee had hurried outside even though it was still raining a little bit. She had almost jumped out the window she saw Pietro and the others walk through the door. **That,** along with the 'Being Bobby´s girlfriend' comment she had gotten earlier, hadn't exactly made her day.

She sighed and sat down in the soft wheat grass, leaning against one of the mansion brick walls as the last few drops of rain hit the ground and the sun started to appear again.

"Jubilee?" a soft voice suddenly asked, and Jubilee looked up to see Jaime standing in front of her with a smile on his face. "What are you doing?"

"Hey, I´m just thinking a little," she said and patted on a spot next to her. "Wanna join me?"

"Sure," Jaime said and sat down next to the older girl. "What are you thinking about?"

"How life was easier before I started liking guys and started dating," Jubilee answered tucking some of her long black hair behind her ear.

"So it´s true?" Jaime asked looking at her. "What Ray said?"

"About Bobby?"

"Yeah."

"Well… I mean… I like Bobby, and I love Bobby like I love all of you …but" Jubilee sighed and closed her eyes for a second. "I don't know…I don't think so. Although, he is nice isn't he?"

"Yeah he is, I guess, but I think… Do you wanna hear what I think?"

"Go ahead kid."

"I think that he likes you a lot more than you like him," Jaime said.

"You know what?" Jubilee asked with a smile.

"No, what?"

"You are pretty smart for a 12 year old boy…"

"I´m always right," Jaime said and stood up. "Wanna come inside and annoy the others with me?"

"I´ll be right there," Jubilee answered and watched the younger teen walk back inside. "And you're right. It´s not Bobby I like…not like that."

--:--

After spending some more time with Jaime inside, just talking and hanging out, Jubilee decided to go and try to find Bobby to have a little "**talk**". She didn't know what he thought about their "relationship", if he thought that they were officially girlfriend and boyfriend, or if he knew better.

She didn't want to hurt him; Bobby was a good guy, a nice guy… So why didn't she want him?

He was the one she should go out with, the one she should want and as a plus, he wanted her for more than just sex. Actually she was pretty sure that Bobby wouldn't even mention sex to her…

And still she would rather be with Pietro Maximoff, the one who **only** wanted the sex part.

She was just about to take the elevator downstairs to see if Bobby had decided to train with the X-men, when the doors to the elevator suddenly opened and what could only be explained as a **very** angry Scott Summers stormed out, almost knocking her over.

"Hey!" she called after him. Even if she had known why he was so angry, it wasn't any good reason to knock into her like that.

"Look where you´re going One Eye!" she shouted. Scott then stopped and turned around. "You almost knocked me over,"

"Sorry," Scott sighed and looked around. "I just…"

"I saw the Brotherhood," Jubilee said, quickly understanding what made him so mad. "I guess they actually were invited, huh?"

"Yeah… They're going to… Help us. Join us, actually."

"Join us?" Jubilee asked wide-eyed, momentarily stricken with fear. She wouldn't survive living in the same house as the Brotherhood.

"Not forever, just until we have figure out what Magneto is planning, and until we've figured out a way to stop him," Scott said. "I´m going to take a drive, **if **somebody asks."

"Whatever you say, Oh Fearless Leader," Jubilee called after him as Scott hurried towards the garage.

"Well, I´m not going down there," she muttered, and closed the elevator doors. "Maybe he´s in the kitchen…"

**--:--**

"You!" Jubilee exclaimed, grabbing Bobby Drake by the arm when he passed her casually in the hall. She pulled him with her, through the doors behind her and into the Institute library. Bobby tried to protest, but soon found that all resistance was futile, once Jubilee cornered him against one of the bookshelves.

"Um, hi Jubes," he tried, a slight tint of pink creeping up his cheeks._'_ "What's up?"

"Did you tell Ray I'm your girlfriend?" she asked, eyes narrowed.

Her arms were crossed, and she was trying her best to look threatening, but for some reason it didn't seem to be working on him. Or maybe she wasn't doing it right. She had to admit it was bit hard keeping a serious face around Bobby.

"Well, technically,"

"I don't care about technically, Bobby. Did you or not?" she pressed, taking a few steps back. It was a simple question wasn't it?

"I told him we were going out," Jubilee's features darkened, "but I didn't mean going out, as in dating. I meant we were going to go out **sometime**." he added quickly.

"Oh, well then," she muttered, fingers twining her hair in an uncharacteristic feeling of embarrassment. Bobby's hand were deep in his pockets, and neither of them seemed to know where to avert their eyes. "I'm gonna get Ray for this... Hey, I'm sorry about the whole 'sneaking up on you' thing."

"It's okay," Bobby assured her, smiling weakly. "As long as you let me be part of the revenge."

She smiled back, and nodded slightly. Their gazes drifted again, not looking at each other. And they didn't say anything. Just stood there, silent. Jubilee decided it would be best to get out of the library before this conversation got any weirder. However, she didn't even get halfway to the door before things got worse.

Through the less-than-halfway open door she could see Pietro Maximoff's distinct eyes looking back at her, one silver brow quirked at her. _'Oh Holy Someone, kill me now...'_

"So, I guess that date is out of the question, huh?"

'_Not the best time for that, Icicle...' _she thought to herself, a string of courses following. She didn't know what to say, not with Pietro staring back at her. Not when she knew all she wanted from him was friendship.

Pietro was staring at her, smirking, as if he was urging her to come with an answer. She glared at him.

"Jubilee?"

She turned on her heel, and smiled sweetly at the blond boy. "Actually, Bobby, I'd like to go out anyway."

"Really?" he questioned, recovering from the momentary confusion that her answer had struck him with.

"Mhm. Maybe we can do something next weekend?"

"Aww, isn't that cute?"

At the sound of Quicksilver's sharp voice interrupting their conversation, Jubilee spun around and in one swift movement had 'fireworks' sparking threateningly from her hands.

"Get lost, Maximoff," Bobby hissed.

"You know, it's almost sad to watch," the silver haired boy continued mockingly, his gaze shifting from Jubilee to Bobby. "She doesn't want you Drake, you're just the little slut's rebound."

Pietro never got a chance to finish his taunting of the two New Recruits, and Jubilee never got a chance to beat him up herself, because Bobby stepped in and did the most macho thing he could do.

He punched him.

"_But I'll get by_

_Oh, I'm pretending like I'm keeping it together,_

_And they'll never know."_


	6. Reflection

**Chapter 6**

**Reflection**

_Look at me_

_You may think you see who I really am_

_But you'll never know me_

_Everyday it's as if I play a part_

_Now I see_

_If I wear a mask I can fool the world_

* * *

"Bobby!"

Jubilation Lee's eyes went wide as her friend, fists balled up and iced over, punched the other boy. Pietro stumbled backwards, the impact of Bobby's fist clearly visible on his left cheek. Bobby wasn't about to stop there, going at the older boy again, but Pietro was out of the way in a flash. Loosing balance, Bobby fell against one of the bookshelves, sending half the books to the ground. Pietro laughed as he tried to get back on his feet.

Jubilee was left speechless as the fight continued to unfold in front of her, the two now in a heap on the floor throwing punches at each other. Her mind was screaming at her to stop them, that this was all her fault. Her lips were parted but the words seemed to bunch together and clog her throat whenever she tried to speak. It was then that Jubilee first understood what people meant with the phrase '_I hope you choke on every word you said to me.'_ She couldn't seem to breathe.

"Pietro!"

For a second Jubilee felt her body go rigid with shock, fully believing that she had been the one to shout. Then her eyes snapped away from the boys, who still hadn't stopped fighting, to the girl standing in the doorway. Her jaw dropped. The girl was tall and dressed head to toe in black and red, with charcoal hair and red lips to match.

But what caught Jubilee's attention was how her hands were glowing blue, and how strikingly familiar her eyes looked.

"God damn it! Pietro, knock it off!" she shouted again, the glow around her hands too bright for the other girl to look at.

She closed her eyes just for a second, Jubilee insisted, but in the brief time she had looked away the other girl had done _something_ and now both Bobby and Pietro seemed to have been glued to the walls. Shaking her head she fell out of her state of wonder, and turned to Bobby.

"Are you alright?" she asked, voice weak as she watched him fight against whatever it was that was holding him.

"Let him go," she spat at the other girl.

The only reply she got was the girl turning her back, and walking away.

"Hey! Hey, get back here!" Jubilee shouted down the hall as she tried to catch up with the other girl. She didn't seem to care that she was begin shouted at, her fast strides keeping their speed. Sprinting, Jubilee got in front of her, and pushed her backwards hard enough for her to stop, cross her arms and glare.

"Go back there, and let my friend down!"

"Why, so they can back to beating the crap out of each other?" she asked calmly, though every word was laced with spite. "Why were they fighting anyway?"

Jubilee bit her lip, "That's none of your business."

The other girl arched a brow, and Jubilee felt herself fill with the fear of being found out. "I mean, it's not like **I** know what they were fighting over, you know. Guy stuff, probably. Just stupid stuff."

The girl nodded, "Of course. Should have expected that much."

"Who are you anyway?"

The girl frowned at the question, as if she didn't really want to answer. She sighed.

"Wanda, Wanda Maximoff."

"But that... Wait, you're Pietro's sister?" Jubilee asked, confused. That was one thing that had never crossed her mind while trying to figure out who the psychotic mystery member of the Brotherhood was. Not that this girl really seemed that psychotic. Though it did explain the eye thing.

"Unfortunately, yeah."

Jubilee's mind was racing. "I... I have to go," she muttered and took off down the hall, leaving a confused Wanda behind.

Let the record show that Wanda Maximoff was not stupid, nor was she naïve. She had a pretty good idea what her brother's fight was about, and she was certain this girl (she had never been given her name) was equally aware.

Though she didn't know her brother was one of Bayville High's most notorious players, she knew he had a way of charming every female he came across. Even when they were little kids playing in the park he could wrap them around his finger with a single smile. He would select one out of the housewives and spinsters at random and a few minutes later return with candy and sweets of every kind.

She had no trouble believing the worst of him, that he had charmed this girl into bed and now her boyfriend wanted to beat the living daylight out of him. Had it not been for the fact that they were at the Institute for a reason, (the Brotherhood because Mystique had said so, and she to get a chance to kill her father) she would have gladly let the fight continue.

But right now nothing was going to get in the way of her own agenda.

* * *

Jubilee walked into her bedroom, keeping her eyes on the floor like she had been doing the whole way up the stairs and down the hallway. After the very short conversation with Wanda she had hurried back to find Pietro gone and Bobby just getting up, a big bruise on his throat and blood coming from his cracked lip.

She hurried over and pulled out a paper tissue that she had kept in her pocket.

"_I'm sorry, Bobby,"_ she had said and put the tissue against his bottom lip.

"_Not your fault."_

He had just smiled and the guilt had washed over her. He had defended her honor because he thought that what Pietro had said had just been a cruel word to hurt her, because she was an X-man. But she very well knew that it hadn't been the case.

"_Let's get you to Hank and patch you up."_

She had taken him to see Beast and then spent the rest of the evening in his company, as a thank you for what he had done. And to her relief the date thing wasn't mentioned. He probably had a lot of other things on his mind.

She locked the door to her room before taking her shirt off and throwing it in the laundry basket. This had been one of the worst days in ages! She blamed Pietro for the fight. Bobby wouldn't have punched him if he hadn't said what he did.

"_You're just the little slut's rebound." _

The words echoed in the back of her mind. Who was he to call her a slut? All her fingers and toes would probably not be enough to count all the girls that he had slept with. But now, because _she_ happened to sleep with him, she was the slut? Yeah right…

It was true Pietro hadn't been her first, thank God for that; to be honest he was number three. And for a girl who grew up on the streets that was a really low number. She knew some girls from the streets who had started out at 13, and how many they had been with now only God knew, because she was pretty sure they weren't keeping count. Not everyone was like that of course, but the streets are hard, so hard that sometime drugs are the only thing that will help and if you don't have the money, you make sure to get them.

She was so mad at him but for some goddamn reason she couldn't hate him. She could dislike him and curse his name, but she couldn't bring herself hate him. And it was really driving her nuts.

"Get a grip," she whispered to herself as she sat down on the bed. "It wasn't _that_ good, so just hit him or something!" She slowly took of her pants and reached for the yellow tank top and the pink hot pants she used for pajamas.

"I hate today," she sighed. "And that sentence made no sense." She was about to put her long hair in a ponytail for the night, when someone knocked on the door.

_"Great,"_ she thought, _"Cause I really feel like talking."_ She got up from the chair in front of the mirror and went to answer the knock.

"Whoever it is, I don't really feel like talk-" she started to say as she opened the door, but her words died for a few seconds when she saw who was standing outside. "-ing…" she finished.

Her eyes went dark and she slammed the door shut, but not before a brief wind could pass her by and when she turned around, she was ready to just blow up the whole mansion.

"How the hell did you do that?!" she screamed, already knowing the answer, and since Pietro knew that she knew, he didn't say a word. "Did you miss the whole, me slamming the door in your face part? Cause that sure as hell didn't mean, come in!"

"Are you going to calm down anytime soon?" he asked, looking kinda serious. For him anyway.

"Yes, when you get the hell out of here!"

"Guess you have to scream for some time then."

"Pietro, get out, or I'll blow you through that wall!"

"Yeah the Professor would like that, wouldn't he?"

"I don't give a shit!"

"Fine, then blow up your room."

Jubilee could feel her powers building up inside of her but she knew he was right; the Professor wouldn't like it and she didn't want to blow up her room. Not for him. She took a few calming breaths and then she looked at him with what could only be described as a true bitch smile.

"Then perhaps I can call for Wanda? If I'm not mistaken she can take you down without destroying anything in just a few seconds," she said. "And hey, I know nothing more manly than a guy who still gets beat up by his _sister._" She could see how his eyes darkened a little bit and in a flash he was standing in front of her.

"Punching under the belt?" he asked, not breaking the eye contact they now had. "Good one firecracker, really good."

"I know, and now if you'll excuse me, this _little slut_ has more important things to do." She walked passed him and over to the mirror, were she sat down and started to brush her hair again, a 100 strokes every night, just like her mother had done.

The room went quite but he didn't leave. She had expected him to go but he just stood there watching her, then the floor and then her again.

"_97, 98, 99 and 100,"_ she mentally counted. She put down the brush and was a about to put her hair into a ponytail again when she suddenly looked into the mirror and saw Pietro standing behind her. She hated when people sneaked upon her like that, she truly hated it.

"I hate that you know," she told him, not looking at him directly but through the mirror.

"I know," he answered, meeting her eyes in the mirror.

"What do you want Pietro?" She turned around and stood up. "Because I'm too tired for this."

It was true - she was way to tired for his sarcasm at that moment, and she knew that if he would start being his normal self she really would blow up her room, if not the whole mansion. She opened her mouth to speak again but before she knew it, before she had any time to move away, he grabbed her and kissed her.

To her own surprise she didn't pull away, she didn't know why, she didn't like him, but she didn't hate him and everything just became more confusing when he kissed her. When the kiss ended she pulled away from his arms and just looked at him for a second.

"Do you know how much I want to hit you right now? You know, I'm used to your sarcastic comments, cause I do it too, everyday. I can play that game and still kiss you without it meaning anything, but do you honestly think that after what you called me you can just walk in here and get into my bed again?" She kept her eyes on him. "It wasn't the first and it probably wasn't the last time anyone will call me that, but what gives you the right? You don't know anything about my sex-life; if anyone here is a slut I would have to say it's you. But I would never have called you that."

"You kinda just did."

"That's different. Now can you please just…"

"Sorry."

The words came from his lips before she could finish what she was about to say, just like that, in a calm tone… Just like that.

Not that Jubilee thought of the tone. The only thing in her mind was _"Did he just say sorry? Did he actually say a word she had thought he didn't even know existed?" _

"What?" she asked, still not really believing that she had heard him right. He looked at her with a face that said please don't make me say it again, but she really needed him to.

"Sorry, I said sorry." You could clearly hear how much he hated repeating the word.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well I guess I kinda…supposedly…appreciate you saying that…on some level."

"I didn't mean it like it sounded."

"Yes, because you can define _slut_ in so many ways."

"It wasn't for you."

"Yes it was. I was there, remember?"

"Yeah, I know, but it wasn't for you, it was for Iceboy. I wanted to piss him of and I didn't think about what I said…kinda."

Jubilee looked at him, not really knowing what to think. She wasn't the kind of person whose trust you could easily gain, and she had never really trusted him... even if she wished she could. But as she looked into his eyes, she couldn't see any signs that he was lying. He really did look sorry, but then again, who knew? Maybe he was a very talented actor? She sighed and lowered her eyes finding her feet suddenly very interesting.

She was mad, she really was, she just didn't know who she was the most angry with - herself or Pietro. Pietro, for saying what he had and for just being Pietro, or herself, for actually feeling hurt when he had said it. If she really didn't feel anything for the guy she wouldn't be angry, she wouldn't hate him for saying that. The opposite of love wasn't hate, it was when you felt absolutely nothing…and that she didn't do, she felt something. She just wasn't sure what she felt.

Jubilee sat down on her bed without a word.

Pietro studied the girl as she was thinking. He hadn't been planning on seeing her tonight, and he sure as hell hadn't had any plans on telling her that he was sorry. He wasn't the kind of person who apologized. But when he had seen her on her way to her room he had just followed without thinking, and then when she had looked at him like that…he had felt like the biggest jerk on the planet. It was just a word, he used it all the time, but she had made it into the most terrible thing that could ever be said, and he hated himself for feeling that way.

He sat down beside her, keeping his eyes on his hands.


	7. When Im Gone

**Chapter 7**

**When I´m gone**

_There's another world inside of me_

_That you may never see_

_There's secrets in this life_

_That I can't hide_

_Somewhere in this darkness_

_There's a light that I can't find_

_Maybe it's too far away..._

_Or maybe I'm just blind..._

The early morning sun slowly started to appear beyond the horizon as Jubilation Lee opened her eyes. She didn't need to look at her watch to know that it was too early to get up, she closed her eyes and was about to turn over when she stopped.

There were two arms going around her waist…her mind started to panic but she laid perfectly still not wanting to wake up the person sleeping behind her.

She didn't remember doing anything like this last night! They had just sat down on the bed and there hadn't been another word spoken and then…and then what? What had happened next?!

She slowly and very gently turned her body over so she would be able to see him, his arms never letting go of the embrace he had her in. She almost opened her mouth in chock when she notes that he was lying _on top_ of the cover, fully dressed.

She looked down at herself and saw the yellow tank top right where it was suppose to be.

Her mind started to relax and she sighed in relief, not even she would have jumped in bed with him that fast after what he had said, even though he had apologized.

She could feel how his arms tightened around her and how he was pulling her closer in his sleep. It was actually really comparable, just lying there, feeling his breaths and listening to the sound of his heartbeats, just lying there doing nothing…She once again closed her eyes and started to drift of back into sleep.

Pietro yawned and stretched out his legs in the warm bed. He opened his eyes to get a glance at the time; but instead he was met by the sleeping face of Jubilee only inches away from his own. He quickly looked down to find himself on the other side of the cover with his pants on, he just had to make sure…then his eyes returned to the sleeping girl next to him.

She always looked so peaceful when she was sleeping; it was hard to believe that the girl next to him was the same energetic firecracker that even he would have a hard time keeping up with. But that was just the way she was, she could be so calm and gentle at first, to have fire in her eyes the very next second.

He couldn't help but smile as he looked at her, he was glad that no one was around to see, to see him, Pietro Maximoff, lying in bed with a girl fully closed just holding her and smiling at her sleeping form. He closed his eyes and decided to go back to sleep, it was probably early, too early to leave the warmness of the bed he was in.

_Knock, knock_

Both Jubilee´s and Pietro´s eye flew open when they heard the knock on the door.

"Jubs?" She hard Bobby´s voice ask. "Are you up? The professor wants to see us before they leave"

Jubilee and Pietro didn't say a word, they just lay their looking at each other trying to figure out something to do.

"Jubilee?" Another series of knocks could be heard.

"I´m up!" Jubilee suddenly called. "Just give me a second to get decent"

The two teenagers sat up and looked around the room.

"Now what?" Pietro whispered.

"I don't know!" Came a whisper back as Jubilee left the bed and headed for her closet. She threw of the tank top and hot pants, leaving her in nothing but a red thong. She really didn't care, or she didn't have time to care, and besides he _had_ seen her naked and she was in a hurry. She looked around the walk-in-closet and quickly decided on a pair of black leather pants and a black tank top that she had gotten just last week, she had really liked the way it had shown of her cleavage, not to hidden but not to sluty either.

When she was finished she found Pietro standing by an open window.

"Thought I, you know, say goodbye this time" He said.

"It almost sounds like you aren't planning on coming back" Jubilee´s thoughts went to the late night calls she had heard. "To Bayville and the Brotherhood I mean"

"Don't worry firecracker, I´ll be around" With that he rushed over to her, gave her a quick kiss and disappeared out the window before she had a chance to react.

"Jubes?" Bobby said, knocking once more at the locked door. "Ready get?"

The raven haired girl took one last glance out the window before walking over and unlocking her door.

"Sorry" She said when she met Bobby´s tired face.

"No worries" He said and glanced into her room.

"What?"

"I thought I heard you talking to someone"

"Yes…that would have been with the…socks I couldn't find"

"Oh"

"Yes, well we should hurry" Jubilee smiled. "The faster we get there, the faster _I_ can get something to eat"

* * *

"This is so unfair!" Ray announced as all the new recruits entered the kitchen to get some breakfast. "They are going on a mission to try and protect _our_ safety and _we_ are stuck here!"

"With strict orders _not_ to leave the mansion grounds" Amara said as she sat down at the kitchen table. "And I wouldn't call it unfair, the Professor is just concern about our wellbeing, we haven't been trained enough to be out there with them yet, you heard him"

"Oh shut up princess" Roberto grabbed the jelly and the peanutbutter from the fridge and sat down across from her. "Those were just nicer words for _you guys suck at fighting and you're too weak to come_"

"God you _guys_ take everything so personal" Rahne said taking the jelly from her teammate to put on her toast. "The professor didn't think we were ready and he didn't want to risk us getting hurt, that's all"

"But we have passed every test that he has put us through lately" Sam said "Well except in the last two weeks, but the others didn't do any better, there was no reason for us not to go"

"He has a point" Bobby said sitting down next to his friend. "It´s almost like he didn't want that many of us to go"

"Okay, you guys should really stop watching all those CSI shows" Rahne smiled. "You are getting really paranoid"

"Hey guys?" Jamie tried to get their attention.

"Oh yeah sure _we_ are the paranoid ones" Roberto snorted. "Miss-some-super-natural-power-killed-my-fishes"

"Well how did they die then? They were fine when I left them in the morning and then when I came home from school, they were all dead!"

"Guys?" Jamie tried again.

"That doesn't mean that it was supernatural, maybe they got so sick of a life in a tank and formed a suicide pack?" He smirked.

"Yes because that is even more logical!" Rahne rolled her eyes.

"I think it's very logical" Bobby smiled. "Who would want to live their whole lives in a small tank?"

"The tank wasn't small" Amara defended her friend. "It was a very large one, and the fishes were very small"

"GUYS!!" Came a loud shout and the group all turned their head to look at Jamie.

"What?" Bobby asked.

"Not to disturb you very interesting conversation about dead fishes" Jamie begun. "But where is Jubilee?"

* * *

Jubilee rushed out the door so fast after the Professor had finished talking, the automatic doors almost didn't have a chance to open for her. Under the entire meeting she hadn't been able to get Pietro out of her mind. That look he had, had on his face when he said goodbye, the look in his eyes…something was going to happen, something big she just didn't know what. She had thought about asking the Professor to let her come but she knew that it would probably be a lost cost, and when he had forbid them to leave the grounds she knew it would be for sure.

Both Amara and Bobby had asked if she was okay, they most have noticed her being nervous and acting strange but she had just blamed it on being hungry.

She hadn't even thought about stopping the elevator for the others, she only had one thought in her head and that was to get to New York City.

She had almost jumped out as the elevator doors opened and hurried to the garage. The Professor had a pretty impressive collection of cars, and the keys were all hanging inside a metal locker, it was locked, but it was nothing her sparks couldn't fix. She grabbed the keys to one of the two SUV's and wasted no time getting into it.

Something was wrong so very wrong, she could feel it, the phone call Pietro had, had that late night played itself over and over again in her head.

"_It's all under control. They'll never se it coming" _

The X-men, he had to have been talking about the X-men.

"_I know, I... Look, she won't be any trouble ... all right, maybe she will ... Hey, Mystique's the one who brought her here!"_

Wanda he had been talking about Wanda, but why would she be so much trouble? Sure she was powerful, but who seemed to be so worried about her?

"_Mystique says the X-Geeks won't be a problem, says they'll buy everything she says ... About New York, don't you ... No, the Brotherhood doesn't have a clue... No problem, just ... Fine."_

Why hadn't she taken that phone call more serious? She had tried to talk to Logan about it but when he treaded it like it was no big deal she had started to think that too. But know as she played it over and over again everything started to become clearer. How blind could a person with almost perfect vision get?

She speeded down the road that would lead her to New York, ignoring all the traffic rules that she had spent almost all last year learning.

* * *

Pietro smirked to himself as he walked beside Wanda at the almost empty construction site. Soon, soon the whole world would know about them, about mutants, his father had always said that there was no reason that they should ever hide and lie about who they were, they were the strong once, they were the next step in evolution and it was time for the world to know that.

Like most of the things his father said to him, Pietro hadn't given it a second thought, ever since they had left Wanda at that institution he hadn't even thought about questioning his father's motive. Even though he would never say it out load, Pietro feared the man, he had always respected him, Magneto was the kind of man that gave everyone around him an instant respect. Respect for his powers, for what he was capable of, but the fear was bigger than the respect he felt.

He remembered after they had left Wanda, he didn't remember a time in his life when he had felt so hurt, confused and so broken, all at the same time, and then of course the fear, the fear of having to suffer the same fate as his sister.

He had decided that day that he would never get close to anyone ever again, if it hurt that much to lose someone you cared about, he would never put himself through it again.

And he had kept that promise for so long, that was until _her_…

She had just been there, not caring, ignoring rules, causing trouble, and being just like him. They had picked on each other since day one and they loved it, it was a game to them. But then there had been that night… the night when he had woken up in cold sweat after way too many nightmares, it was like every bad thing that had ever happened to him had hunted him that night. He had decided to take a walk, to clear his mind and to get some fresh air. It had started to rain, not that he had noticed it, he had just continued to walk and before he knew it he had been outside the Xavier mansion. His mind had wandered to earlier that day when he had heard her say that she was going to be alone all night, he rushed over the gate and up to the large door and somehow a shaky finger rang the doorbell.

And that's how the second face of their relationship had begun, the physical part. He had truly thought that it was just going to be a one night, but then she had come to him and he hadn't minded that at all. Normally Pietro was a one night kind of guy with girls, he didn't want them to read too much into it, but with Jubilee he couldn't stay away. He hadn't felt the need to be with anyone else after they had started to sleep together, somehow he felt like she was all he needed at the time, and that thought was even more scarier that his father.

He had sighed in relief when Professor Xavier had told the newest members of the X-men that they couldn't come, she would be safe, _she_ wouldn't be there.

* * *

Jubilee parked the car on the otherwise empty parking lot. She sighed and looked around without getting out, what the hell had she been thinking? The only thing she knew about the location was the three words she had heard the Professor say before she had stormed out, the words empty, warehouse and construction, and those words described about a _thousand_ different locations in New York.

Maybe she should have just said something before they had left, but then again if she had said something they would have wanted to know _how_ she knew that something was wrong. And how the hell do you tell you teammates that you heard the enemy talking about it when you were sleeping in his bed right after you had sex with him, and saying it infront of everybody… not a good move.

"Okay" She said to herself and stepped out of the SUV. "If I was a human hating-power mad- mutant where would I be?" She looked around at the high buildings. "Somewhere high probably… were I could use my powers without being spotted directly, and being high up it's a sign of power… and that was going into the criminal mind, thank you Gil Grissom" She smiled and a picture of her favorite show poppet up in her head. "But that still wont lead me to the right place… cant exactly check out every high building in this city, somehow I have the feeling that I don't have all day"

Just as she had spoken the last word the ground started to shake, not enough to make one lose there balance; it was more like a very powerful vibration.

"Guess the looking up all day plan is cancel" She took of running towards the empty construction site, only to stop seconds later, almost falling down as she avoided the large whole that seemed to have just appeared in the ground.

"What the…" Jubilee slowly approached the large abyss and tried to look down but all she could see was darkness. She looked up and noticed the X-jet not to far away, she was just about to call down the deep hole, hoping that no one would answer, but she didn't get the time as the ground started to shake again. For one second she got her hopes up, thinking that they all must be safe and that Avalanche had to be responsible for the shakings… but that was before the giant red robot rose from the ground. The hope went away and was replaced by thoughts like _"I´m insane"_ and _"Wonder if Arnold will be popping up anytime soon"_ more she didn't get the chance to think as she suddenly heard her name being called, suddenly Kurt was infront of her grabbing her hand and the next second she was right next to the others.

"What are you doing here?" Kitty asked, there was no time for response though as a red laser, similar to Cyclops was fired from the futuristic machine infront of them.

"Run!" She could hear the voice of Toad yell and for once nobody argued with him.


	8. Rebirthing

Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Rebirthing**

_Feel your presence filling up my lungs with oxygen  
I take you in  
I've died  
Rebirthing now  
I wanna live for love, wanna live for you and me  
Breathe for the first time now I come alive somehow  
Rebirthing now  
I wanna live my life, wanna give you everything  
Breathe for the first time now I come alive somehow  
Right now_

* * *

Somehow, staying home like she had been told to seemed like a really good idea. But then again Jubilation Lee hardly ever did what she was told. Only her father had been able to set her strait as a child, it was that look he would give her, that would send chills up your spine. So there was only two things that would have made her stay at the mansion this day, she would either, A) Have to raise her father from the dead, or B) Have a visit from her future self telling her that she would end up being hunted down by a laser shooting robot.

Neither A or B seemed very likely, so to come to a conclusion, there was no way she could have avoided this situation.

She turned around just in time to see the small car that was coming her way. She grabbed a hold of Kitty´s hand and threw herself and the brunette into an ally just in time.

"What is that thing?" She heard Shadowcat asked as they both stood up.

"I have no idea… Oh shit don't look now"

"What?"

"Big red has a twin"

A second robot arise from the abyss and at this point Jubilee knew that getting out of bed that morning had been bad, like really, really bad.

And all of this just because of that white haired, smart ass son of a…

She didn't know how but she knew that Pietro was to blame, well maybe not for all of it but he had something to do with this, she was sure if it.

But why? What could this possibly accomplish? Did they want the X-men dead so baldy?

The only thing two robots would attract was the army, well that and the media…

Magneto could probably beat whatever the army sent his way, seeing how almost every weapon they have is made out of some kind of metal, but why would he want them here? Then it would make more sense… The Professor had told them that Magneto was a big treat because he didn't feel that they had to hide, they were stronger they should be known. So if the media saw the X-men use their power in a fight then everyone would know… damn, he may be a little rash but he is smart.

"We have to help them!" Kitty said and before Jubilee could stop her she had disappeared, damn her and her power!

But Kitty was right; she couldn't just stand there and watch especially since she knew she did have the power to help.

Se sighed before she started to rip her tank top, she truly loved this top! She ripped it all the way around so it now ended right beneath her chest; she used the piece to cover her nose and mouth and to put her hair in a low ponytail.

She had almost died when the drama teacher had wanted her up on stage; gymnastics sure, talk on stage hell no! So she was not ready for her face to end up on the six o clock news.

She took a deep breath before heading out after Kitty.

* * *

"Wanda is coming" Pietro told his father as he watched his sister coming towards them. Guess this safe spot wasn't as safe as he had hopped for.

"She will have to wait" Was the answer he received.

He looked out over the town, people screaming, building collapsing, the place was in total chaos and the media had found out, just like he had planned. He watched as the X-men started running trying to get away, he watched as a car came flying almost taking the Kitty cat head of, luckily for her Jubilee had been there…

For one second there the young Maximoff could almost feel his heart stop beating.

Jubilee had been where??

She wasn't supposed to be there! All the newer students at Xaviers had been left at mansion, right? They had been given orders to stay, he had heard it himself. But then again when did Jubilation Lee follow orders?

He watched as Kitty came out through the wall at the end of the building but quickly turned his eyes back to the ally where he had watched them dive into. Why wasn't she coming out? Was she hurt? No, he knew Kitty wouldn't have left her if she was.

He waited for what seemed like forever, but then again 20 seconds was forever for him.

Pietro could actually feel himself smile as the black masked female stepped out from the shadows. She was okay, but for how long would that last? Her powers wasn't that strong, she would get hurt if she stayed out there, he sighed before leaving his fathers side to go and find his firecracker.

* * *

Buildings falling apart and screaming people, these things did not bring back any happy memories. Flashes of all those people back in L.A, screaming, crying, trying do dig out there loved once still left under the former business building.

The pleas, the blood, all her fault, all blood on her hands.

"_Stop it!"_ She heard her own voice say. _"If you think about that, about them… it's your fault, deal with it later, right now, somebody actually needs your help"_

Suddenly the sun disappeared, she quickly turned around only to see one of the robots. It raised its arm and almost before she could react something sticky was shot at her. She jumped strait into the air letting the green substance hit the wall behind her.

"Watch out!" She heard Nightcrawler yell as another shot was fired at her.

She quickly jumped sideways and just barley managed to keep herself standing.

Okay this was it, she had, had it with this big red slime shooting bug robot.

"Are you alright?" Kurt was suddenly behind her.

"Yeah, thanks…" She looked at her friend and then at the robot and back at Kurt. "I need to get up"

"What? Are you insane?!"

"Yes, very actually, teleport me up on… well it´s neck I guess"

"No way! You will get hurt, its to…" He didn't get a chance to finish as Jubilee grabbed his arms.

"Kurt you can play Scott later, right now you are going to get me up there!" She sighed. "I can stop it, please…"

He looked at her for a few seconds, then another car came flying.

"You win" He sighed and wrapped his arms around her, and before she knew it, she was on the giant robots shoulder.

She smoothly made her way to the head and put both her hands against it.

"Kurt go!"

"But what about you?"

"I´ll be fine!"

"Not if you're planning what I think you are, you don't have that power!"

"Don't underestimate me Kurt…" She said turning around to face him, her eyes glowing red, the blood color taking over completely. "Go"

The blue skinned teen only glanced at her once before he vanished.

When she was sure he was gone she let out some sparks from her hand, making them grow and moving around the big lump of metal, making it impossible for it to move.

She started to raise it above the ground, if she was going to blow it up, she needed to be higher. The pieces would be next to dust but the explosion itself could and probably would take down a few buildings with it.

She went higher and higher, feeling the air change as she did, but she still needed to go higher.

* * *

Pietro watched as the first robot fell under the X-men´s hands. They were much faster the his father had expected, but his fathers plans were not all that important to him at the moment…

Why he had left the safety of the building roof was unbelievable, why couldn't she just have stayed home! Why did she have to make everything so hard and worse, why the hell did he have to care?

"What? Are you insane?!"

"Yes, very actually, teleport me up on… well it´s neck I guess"

He turned around, he had new who it was almost as soon as Nightcrawler had called her insane. What did she say, neck? Oh no she was not going too…

He ducked as a car came flying thru the air and when he looked up again he could see Kurt´s arms going around her and then they were gone.

Now Pietro fully understood the seriousness of this whole situation, he really did. But for some unknown male reason, seeing that, made him want to punch the blue boy really hard.

"What did you do?!" Jean asked, well yelled, as Kurt came back down to the ground. "Go back and get her!"

"She won't let me!"

"What do you mean she wo…"

"Look!" Came Rouge´s voice.

Pietro turned his head to where she was pointing and almost fell over. The familiar multicolor lights of Jubilee´s powers had gone around the Sentinel and were now rising above the buildings. What the hell was she doing?!"

Somehow time seem to stop as all watched her going higher, and higher.

Then suddenly there was an explosion, fireworks were sent at different directions and there was a large grey cloud forming…

* * *

Authors note: First of all this has NOT been beta checked, so sorry!! Bear with it

Second: I am so sorry for the long wait! It is all my fault, I can blame it a litte on school but not all, I have had a really bad authors block! I am really sorry for those who have waited for this one. I will try and make time to write at least twice a week so this wont happen again


	9. Diary of Jane

_**Auothers Note: This chapter has not been beta cleared, just a warning! Dont want to many complains! Thank you!**_

**Chapter 9**

Diary of Jane

_Something's getting in the way._

_Something's just about to break._

_I will try to find my place in the diary of Jane._

_As I burn another page,_

_As I look the other way._

_I still try to find my place in the diary of Jane._

_So tell me how it should be._

_**

* * *

**_

 Pietro watched as the big gray cloud begin do fade and for the very first time in his life the speed-demon could not move. Everything suddenly seemed to go slow, this had never happened to him, never ever had anything gone slow for Pietro Maximoff, but now time went by so painfully slow that every breath he took hurt.

His eyes were focused upon the spot were the Sentinel had been destroyed. _Soon_, a voice inside his head said, _soon,_ _soon_ she would aper, _soon_ she would go safely down to the ground and be meet by her friends soon...

But soon did not seem to want to come.

"Come on" He spoke out load. "Where are you?"

Of course no answer came, no one appeared with their big smile and sparling blue eye telling him that he better keep up.

It was just him and the painfully slow time...

Suddenly something blue was wrapped around him and his whole body went numb, he managed to turn his head slightly to see his sister before he hit the ground and everything went black.

* * *

She could feel the winds as they hit her face and wrapped themselves around her body as she fell.

She did not now how long she had been falling or how soon she would hit the ground, the thing she did bow was when she hit the ground it would all be over. She would not be able to survive.

She tried to move her hands but was so tired, she had not used her powers in such a way in a long time, if she used it regularly her body got use to it and this would not have been a big deal, it would have been nothing.

But no, she had lied, she had hidden herself, her true self and what she could do, she deserved punishment, she knew that, but she did _not _want to die.

Jubilation Lee open your eye! She commanded herself and slowly, very slowly her eyelid opened and she could see the fast approaching earth bellow.

With her last power she put her arms over her head and sent out the last bit of energy she had left.

Suddenly she slowed down and just before she would have hit the dirt bellow she somehow managed to land safety.

She was breathing slowly fighting to keep her eyes open, moving was not even an option.

The last thing she saw were several boots standing around her and a voice that ordered the boots to take her to headquarters.

* * *

The first thing Pietro saw when he opened his eyes were a burning helicopter coming towards him. Without a second thought he got on his feet and rushed to his father who he knew would not be able to get away, there was no time to react for someone with that lived with normal speed.

He noticed how Nightcrawler had made his way to save Wanda, he would have had time to get them both, but with the X-men Wanda would be safe, and much calmer then anywhere near him or their father.

As they reached a spot Pietro judged as safe Magneto called on the rest of party. He had reached his goal in one way, there was no need for them to stay there anymore.

Pietro was close to open his mouth to argue, of course there was reason! Jubilee had exploded high in the air with a giant robot and was nowhere in sight!

But he knew the responds, he would only get a look and a raised brow and an order to move along.

On their way _home_ to their base, a million things went through Pietro´s mind.

How had it all come down to this?

It had started out simple, he had seen her challenge her and to his surprise she had challenge him right back. She had never backed down from the silly games they would play, she had never said no, she never even thought of saying no, she was the only one who was able to keep up with him, who never got tired. Sometimes he had been the one being tired,_ he_! Although he would never say that, to anybody.

Then one night when everything seemed lost and everything was just so confusing he had find himself at her doorstep, remembering that she would be all alone.

She had opened, taken one look and pulled him inside and asked what was wrong, like she truly cared.

Well looking into her eyes that night he knew she cared, a little anyway and he couldn't help but kiss her, and that kiss had led to something else, a very good something else according to him. She was even able to keep up with him in that apartment.

And then it had happened again and again, and each time he knew it would happen again, because he wanted more, more of her...

* * *

As fast as she had opened her eyes Jubilee closed them again. The bright light has stung her and made her head start to spin. She started opening them slowly, blinking a few times so that she could adjust to the brightness around her, there was several of big lamps in the celling and the fact that the whole room was painted in white sure didn't help her.

For a moment Jubilation Lee felt calm, for a moment she let her breath out, for a moment it felt alright, then as the moment passed all the memories of what had happened came back to her and all the nice feelings were gone in less then a second. Where the hell was she?! What the hell had happened to everyone?! And why was she tied down?!

Thick rems of leather were tied around her wrists and ankles so she wouldn't be able to rise from the bed, her hands were also covered in some form of metal gloves, likely so that she would not be able to use her powers.

As the panic built up inside of her she started struggling bending her body in every way she could to get out of her chains.

"You shouldn't do that" A calm female voice suddenly interrupt. "The IV needle will break"

Jubilee stopped her fighting and lied back down looking at the tall blond woman making her way inside the room towards her. Jubilee remained silent and still as the woman checked her beeping screen and her IV.

"There everything seems to be in order" The woman smiled.

"I´m tied down, I don't know were the hell I am or whats in the IV tube that is connected to my arm or who the hell you are, yeah things are just great, I´m dancing on little pink clouds at the moment, cant you tell?" The sarcasm couldn't be helped, it was just who she was.

"Well it seems that you are doing better" A gruff voice said as the door once again opened and a man stepped in. "Agent Miles?" he asked looking at the woman.

"Colonel" She greeted before giving him an update "Her values are all back to normal, it is one of the fastest recovering I have seen after using this kind of energy, with this and the data I will have the level of her powers at your desk in an hour"

"Very good" Was the response as he walked passed the blond and over to the bedside looking down at Jubilee.

"Who the hell are you people?!" She felt totally helpless and she didn't like it one bit, what were they going to do to her? Why did they want her? What had happened to the X-men? To Pietro?

"That is some mouth you got there" The man said. "I will not tolerate it" He said it like an order and like he was expecting her to fallow it.

"Do I look like I fucking care what you think about my mouth?!" She screamed. "Now who are you, were the fuck I´m I and what do you want, tell me or I..."

"What?" He interrupted her calmly. "You will do what miss. Lee? Spit at us?"

He was right, what the hell did she make treats for, she was tied down in a bed in God knows what place. But what was she suppose to do?

She looked up at the man once more, studying him. He was standing tall and dressed in uniform, hands folded behind his back, a serious face and a path over one of his eyes.

"My name is Nicholas Fury welcome to the Shield miss. Lee"

"Shield?" She remembered Wolverine talking about them once in class, they were going over the police forces of the country, the CIA and the FBI learning the rules and who to trust and who to not trust. Shield had ended up in the middle of the trust line, at least on Wolverine´s list.

"Did you...?"

"No we did not have anything to do with todays military interference on the mutant situation" He answered before she had even finished the question. "We observed it and chose not to interfere... until we saw what you did we took you back here and the computer confirmed what I already knew"

"Okay?"

"And that is the fact that you are a wanted woman miss. Lee"

Wanted? What did he mean wanted? She had been caught shoplifting twice and got away on both occasions but they wouldn't put out an wanted order for that...would they?

"We have been looking for you ever since your little accident I L.A a few years back"

Her eyes went wide. Of course... why did she not understand, _how_ could she not understand...

"We didn't know who you were all we had was your powers of film, but even with that we make no mistakes, after your little show today and agent Miles research of the case file, well like I said we make no mistakes"

"So what know? I go to prison or you guys gonna make me disappear?"

"Actually that will be up to you, I have a deal for you"

"You mean your way or no way"

"If you want to see it that"

"Fine then"

"Good, now if agent Miles untie you, will you promise not to attach her?"

"What about you?"

"You wouldn't even know what hit you"

"Fine"

"Good then we have a deal"

"I haven't even heard it yet!"

He only gave her a look.

"Oh right, your way or..."

"No way at all"

"Then I guess we have a deal"

"Good" He nodded towards agent Miles and she begun to untie the small Asian. Her wrist hurt but it was her own fault for twisting and turning like she had. But that didnt matter at the moment all she wanted to know was if her friends were okay and what deal she just agreed to.

To be continued...


	10. What do they know?

**Chapter 10**

**What do they know?**

_Beat me up_

_Beat me down_

_Mess me up_

_Beyond all recognition_

_For what it's worth_

_I'd do it again_

_With no consequence_

_I will do it again_

_Hard up, so hunt me down, down, down_

_Jump the gun bust a cap hit the ground!_

* * *

After what seemed like forever, Jubilee was finally allowed to leave the tiny white room.

She was taken by another female agent to take a shower and change.

The water was to hot for her taste but she wanted to get all the sweat and dirt of. She washed herself pretty fast, wrinkling her nose at the smell of Shield standard shampoo and soap. Her own products always smelled sweet, of fruits, flowers and candy, this white substance however did not.

She stood in the shower until she heard a knock on the door, cloths had been put out for her and she needed to hurry if she wanted to dry of.

Jubilee just smiled and stepped out of the shower, she picked up a brush that had been given to her and brushed her hair before she used her powers to heat up her body. Within second she was dry from top to bottom, a very handy talent indeed.

She walked out of the bathroom to find a black body suit, not the lose fitting type, and a dark blue vest along with boots, glows and a belt.

"Well I guess it could have been worse" She sighed as she started to dress.

Just as she was putting her hair up in a high ponytail the door opened and Fury stepped in.

"Hey!" Jubilee turned to face him. "I could have been naked you know!"

"And that would be nothing that I haven't already seen" Was the answer she got. "We are leaving"

Jubilee fallowed him through the long corridors. What had she gotten herself into? But then again if she had not agreed to do this then Fury would have not given her the information needed to free the captured X-men.

She had asked were the others were and Fury had just told her that they knew so she shouldn't worry. But maybe it was because they knew that she should worry. She actually did not know if anything this man had said was true, but for know she had no choice but to trust him.

A door opened and a cold breeze hit her face, she took in a deep breath as she fallowed Fury towards the awaiting helicopter.

_Trust_, yeah that was a funny word wasn't it? If she had just trusted herself instead of Pietro then maybe her friends wouldn't be in such a mess?

No, she couldn't blame for this whole situation, he had played his role like so many others. But the fact was that he had still done it, she felt so angry and betrayed! But why should she feel like this? He hadn't promised her anything, what they had was just... well whatever they had it was not serious! She felt nothing for that bastard!

_And who are you trying to fool?_ Her inner self was mocking her.

"Yeah" She whispered to herself. "Who am I trying to fool?"

"Did you say something?" Fury asked keeping his eyes forward.

"No" She answered. "Nothing at all"

* * *

Pietro wanted nothing more then to go back to New York at the moment. After he and his father had managed to get away, Magneto had taken them to a secret hideout which he had prepared.

Pietro knew were he was, the only problem was that he did not know how to get back, and asking his father was out of the question. Of course he would ask why, why did he want to go back?

And what was he going to answer? A girl might be hurt, she might need him, if she was still alive that is...

His head was spinning and his heart was pounding so hard that it felt like it was going to explode. He had to calm down, he could not panic, of course she was fine, it was Jubilee after all...right?

And even if she was fine, he knew that this time she would not see him again. Even the firecracker had her limits and he assumed that they had reached. He could not blame her though, but on the other hand he did not regret his decision, it felt right at the time and he could not change it. He just wished that she had stayed safe...

Magneto had told them that they would be staying until the worst had settled.

Pietro had seen his friends being taken away by the military. Sure they might not act like the X-men did towards each other but that did not mean that they did not care. No one was going to say that out load, but they did care, they did not have any others.

He sighed and changed into normal cloths. There was a small town near by and he had to find something to occupy his mind with, Otherwise he would go insane...

He made it to the town in less then a minute. It was smaller then he had thought but still with a good selection of shops and diners.

He went to the local bookstore and started to search for something, he did not know what, just something, something that would get his mind on other things.

Suddenly a big old book fell down from its place, almost hitting Pietro in the head. He waited until the dust had settled before picking the book up almost laughing out load when he saw the title. It was not a funny title, not at all, it was the irony that made him smile.

He payed for the book and went in search for a place to read it. After about 10 minutes he found a small diner that looked okay. He went inside, ordered a cup of coffee and sat down opening the book.

"Romeo and Juliet"

**To be continued!**

_Note: I know it´s short and I´m sorry, it´s just so many things have happened lately and the writing has been pushed aside._


	11. Losing You

**Chapter 11**

**Losing You **

_All the nights I've prayed_

_mostly, sadly untrue_

_I am not prepared to be strong_

_I just can't believe _

_I am losing you_

_Not prepared to carry on_

_I can see you walk away (so cold, so alive)_

* * *

The helicopter ride was longer then Jubilee had expected it to be. Just were the hell had they taken her? She did not have a watch but her inner clock told her that they had been up in the air for at least an hour now. She glanced over at Fury, she had been trying to figure him out since she had met him back at Sheild headquarters, but she had begun to realize that no matter how many episodes of Criminal Minds she had studied she would never be able to profile that man.

She sighed and turned her eyes towards a soldier sitting across from her. He seemed young, no older then 25. He was gripping his weapon hard and unlike the others around him, he was clearly nervous.

"Excuse me?" She asked and the poor guy nearly jumped. Did they let anyone join?

"Yes?" He asked keeping his voice steady.

"Do you know how much longer until we are there?" Jubilee asked trying to sound as sweet as possible. The man blinked once before checking his watch.

"We should be arriving in about 15 minutes"

"Thank you" Jubilee smiled and leaned back, the gray wall was becoming more and more interesting...

"You don't seem..." The man started but stopped as she once again looked at him.

"I don´t seem, what?"

"You don´t act like a mutant" Jubilee just looked at him for a few seconds. Was he really serious? Then she just smiled and leaned forward.

"What´s your´re name?"

"Jason, Jason Anderson"

"Well then Mr. Anderson please tell me how a mutant should behave?"

She could tell he got even more nervous then before. She could so have played Mr. Smith in The Matrix.

"Well since you are not going to answer me Mr. Anderson, let me tell you something. Yes I have powers that you don´t, yes I could blow half or perhaps a whole city in the air, BUT that does not mean that I will. Just because you have that gun in your hand does that mean that you are gonna go into a mall and open fire?" She did not get an answer so she continued. "Just because we have weapons Mr. Anderson does not mean we HAVE to use them"

"Sorry" He mumbled and looked away probably embarrassed since his comrades had heard her.

Jubilee went back to watching the wall. Was this how humans all over the world saw them now? As these alien species that would kill without second thought? At the moment the future did not look all that bright.

The 15 minutes Anderson had talked about felt more like 30. Once they had landed Jubilee was the first one of the chopper stretching her arms and legs, breathing in the fresh air. She recognized the place as Look out Point aka Make Out Point.

Before she could ask Fury what they would do next load voices were heard not to far away. Two females were clearly arguing and Jubilee quickly identified one of them as Storm, mostly based on her voice but also the fact the sky was turning black.

"I want the same thing you want" Mystique spoke just as Jubilee was able to get a glance at her team. They were safe. "The military has taken a member of my team, I want him back the problem is I don't know where to start looking"

Before Jubilee could react Fury stepped out from the bushes.

"Maybe I do" He said getting that smirk back on his face.

"Who are you?!" Mystique asked. "What do you want?!"

"Nick Fury agent of the S.H.E.I.L.D, I´ve been tracking you for hours"

"I strongly suggest that you forget that you found us" Mystique said ignoring Fury´s words. Fury just snapped his fingers and within a second all the soldiers had their weapons out and ready to shoot, even the Anderson guy.

"That was just to prove a point, if I would have wanted to capture you would have been captured" Fury said and then turned to face Storm and the rest of the X-men. "I am here because I have something for you"

Jubilee gripped the small device he had given her earlier hard in her hand, she was about to walk out herself but did not get a chance as Fury´s hand came through the bushes taking her by the collar and dragging her out.

For a few seconds no one moved or said anything, it was Storm however who broke the silence.

"Jubilation!" She hurried over and gave the young girl a hug. "You are alive!"

Storm was then fallowed by Bobby and the rest of the X-men, the last time she had been hugged like this was probably her birthday, not that she minded but Bobby did almost crushed her inner organs and did not let go until she had promised not to die again anytime soon.

"I have given Miss. Lee everything you need to save your friends" Fury said. "Good luck" and with that he was gone. Damn they were fast...

"Can we trust them?" Jean asked Jubilee.

"I think we have too" Jubilee answered. "We don´t really have a choice"

* * *

The first thing they did was too use Fury´s information to retrieve the confiscated X-chopper. Which was surprisingly easy, really they did not expect anyone to want that kind of equipment back?

Kitty and Bobby were send in to take care of the alarm, that way they would have allot more time on their hands. They knew that they would probably be spotted but time was something that would help them.

"Think we can go in yet?" Kurt asked as they stood outside waiting.

"Kitty said she would contact Jean when they were..." Scott did not get a chance to finish the sentence as the alarm went off. Jubilee sighed and turned around crushing the glass doors.

"I think that was the signal" She said and went inside.

Of course the hallways were already packed with soldiers running in different directions.

They were not all that hard to take down, but some of them seemed to be in a panic state of mind and was firing their guns all over the place. You had to be fast not to get hit.

"We have to find Kitty and Bobby!" She could hear Jean´s voice over the shootings.

"You two do that, the rest of you hold them back!" Mystique yelled and then turned towards Jubilee and Kurt. "Did you memorize the building?" She asked Kurt. "Do you know were they are being held?"

"I think so" Kurt answered. "But I´m not..."

"Then just guess!" Jubilee said and grabbed his arms pulling him in towards the wall just in time as a rain of bullets came flying. Mystique touched his shoulder just in time and the three of them disappeared.

Jubilee let out a small sound as she seconds later fell towards the ground. Just as she was about to hit the hard metal floor she felt two arms being wrapped around her, she looked up to see Kurt.

"Sorry" He smiled.

"No need, you caught me" Jubilee smiled back as she was set down.

They both looked around to find that both the captured X-men and Brotherhood members had already broken free from their cages and were now fighting for their lives.

"Bout time you guy´s got here we were..." Wolverine suddenly said behind them, making the two teenagers jump. Wolverine had stopped talking however when he had spotted Mystique. "What´s she doin here?!"

"It is a little complicated, you see..." Kurt started but Jubilee cut him short.

"It is a lovely story that we will tell you later, now come on we have to get out!"

Most of the soldiers in the room had been unharmed, except the one´s Mystique had decided to deal with. They look worse then hell. They did not have the time to stop and see if they were still breathing though, that was unless they themselves wanted to stop.

"Over here!" They heard Lance voice call and they soon spotted him with the rest of the group. "Come on we still have company!"

"Hey over here!" Jubilee yelled as she ran over to a ladder, probably a fire escape. "It leads up to the roof" One after one they climbed up and Jubilee sighed in relief as she saw Storm landing the X-chopper beside them.

"Where is Professor X?!" She suddenly heard Scott yell and she turned around to see that he had closed the exit, trapping Mystique inside.

"Are you insane?!" Mystique screamed. "Let me pass or you will never see him again!"

"Door closing you got 3 seconds Lady" Scott answered.

"You wouldn't dare..." Was the last thing the blue skinned woman yelled before the exit was completely sealed.

Jubilee blinked, she guessed Scott Summers had just earned some major points as a bad ass leader at that moment.

"You son of a bitch!" Lance yelled and grabbed Scott ready to beat the living crap out of him.

"She got what she deserved!" Scott yelled back, clearly he wanted to be abused. A sparkling force field then appeared between them forcing Lance to let go.

"Later boy´s" Jubilee said her eyes glowing. "Or we will all end up down there with her"

"I will get you for this Summers" Lance said before hurrying aboard the chopper.

* * *

The Brotherhood were all dropped of in New York as the X-men landed a few miles away in the middle of the forest. Luckily for them Wolverine knew the area very well.

Storm and Beast had also been dropped of in New York, they were going to see what they could do about the Witch Hunt that was spreading across the country.

Jubilee sighed and sat down in the giant grotto that they for the time being had to call home. Wolverine and Rogue had taken of in search for food, and the rest of the group were trying to get a clear shot from the pocket TV they had found in the chopper.

"Jubilee?" Jean´s voice suddenly said.

"I´m up" The tired 16 year old answer, she had not even noticed that she had closed her eyes.

"Are you okay?" The redhead asked sitting down beside her.

"Yeah, I´m fine, I´m just tired that´s all"

"What happened to you?" She looked up to see Scott standing in front of her, arms crossed over his chest. "How did you end up with the S.H.E.I.L.D?"

"They found me, after the explosion" Jubilee sighed. "I woke up at their headquarters, I think it was their headquarters anyway"

"You really scared us" Kurt said. When had they all moved from the TV and walked over to her? Was she really that tired? Fury had mentioned that she had been medicated so that she would wake up faster, perhaps it was wearing of.

"Sorry" She smiled weakly.

"It was cool though" Bobby sat down at her other side. "Not the **OMG she is dead** part , but the **taking the giant robot up in the air and blowing him up** part"

"Thanks Bobster"

"Your powers..." Jean started. "They couldn't just have..."

"Appeared and right away I knew how to control them? No you are right, they have been this way for... well before I joined you guys. If you want to know why I didn't show Professor X or tell anyone it´s rather simple. If you are weaker you don´t get to fight as much, and I was tired of fighting"

"Understandable" Jean nodded just as Scott was about to say something. She stood up and got twp blankets. "Here, I think you should sleep some, if we hear anything important we will wake you up"

"Thanks" Jubilee made one of the blankets into a pillow and wrapped the other one around her as Jean forced the other back towards the Iceman statue that was holding the TV.

As soon as Jubilee closed her eyes she fell asleep. Hank had told her that it was a defense that her body and mind had created. Because she could not get enough sleep when she was on the street the body and mind went of right away to be able to get as much rest a possible. At the moment it was a very handy thing.

She did not know how long she had been sleeping she just knew that waking up by the sound of a helicopter and gunshots could not be good.

"They found us" Bobby said as he pulled her up. "Are you okay?"

"I´m fine, how could they find us?"

"They recognized Wolverine and Rogue when they were getting food"

"Damn" Jubilee watched as Kitty was dropped into the enemy chopper quickly making it go down.

"Come on we have to get away from here before they call for help"

They all hurried into the X-chopper and took of.

"Hey, were´s Wolvie?" Jubilee asked once she noticed that the hairy Canadian was missing.

"Well as you were sleeping you missed the fight of the..." Bobby started but was stopped as Scott palm came smacking over his head. "Hey that hurt!"

"He decided too take another way, he will be fine, don't worry"

"I wasn't worried, more curious" Jubilee sat down. "Any news from Storm or Beast?"

"They are trying their best" Jean told her. "I just hope that is enough"

The rest of ride was quiet. They did not really know where they were going, well Jubilee did not know, Scott seemed to have something in mind. Maybe sleeping had been a bad idea but she had been so tired. Something suddenly hit Jubilee. She had not thought about Pietro once during this whole thing. Perhaps she should do this more often, until she was over him... not that she needed to get over anything to start with, it had never been anything serious in the first place...

She could hear a small voice in the back of her mind screaming **denial**.

She sighed and looked out the small window at her side. A quiet little down was right below them, it looked so peaceful. The town was right below a large dam, she would have been way to paranoid to live there, what if it would break or something.

Oh and there was the Juggernaut talking a walk on the dam.....THE JUGGERNAUT!!!

Jubilee flew up and rushed over to Scott.

"You cant be serious!"

"We have to stop him!"

"Isn't he suppose to be locked up?!"

"Yeah well apparently he got out"

"Don't sound so damn calm Summers!" Jubilee yelled as he landed the chopper. "Isn't he unstoppable?"

"He is going to destroy the dam, we have to try to stop him" Scott got out of his chair. "Come on with your power why would you be scared?"

"I´m not scared!"

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Helping Lance beat up Summers, CHECK!

"So what´s the plan?"

"We have to get his helmet off" Jean said. "Attacking his mind is the only thing that works on this guy"

"Kurt!" Scott called towards the blue teenager.

"Already there!" And he was gone, only to be found on top of the Juggernauts head. That had to make the list of the 100 most dangerous and stupid things you could do.

"What´s this? Another one of little brothers toys?" Juggernaut laughed as he grabbed Kurt and threw him away. Just before he was about to hit the mountain wall Jean managed to use her powers to catch him.

"I only manage to open 2!" He yelled back to them. Without really thinking at all and with a heavy sight Jubilee jumped down from the safe place they had been using at the dams right side.

"JUBILEE!" She could hear both Jean and Scott scream.

"So they sent in the little girl" The Juggernaut smiled at her. "And what are you going to do, hug me to death?"

"You are way to cocky for your own good you know that right?"

"And what are you going to do about that little girl?"

"Oh I´m just gonna steal the helmet, the rest is up to the others" And with that Jubilee put her hands in front of her and sent out all the energy she had left.

It was not suppose to push him of the edge at all, no doubt that was what he had thought. Instead she made the energy go around him and grabbing his helmet with her mental powers. One lock open....second one almost...now! She ripped the helmet of his head and lowered her hands.

"Why you little bitch!" He did not get a chance to attack her however since Rogue almost appearing out of nowhere surprised him, landing on his head without any glows.

The Juggernaut seemed to get weaker but no matter how much energy Rogue took he would not give in completely. He managed to grab her and through her straight at Jubilee.

"Bobby now!" Was the only thing Jubilee heard since Rogue was blocking most of her view. She managed to sit up, placing Rogue´s head in her lap just as Bobby sent the Juggernaut over the dam packed in ice. It was also then Jubilee noticed the News chopper flying above them with at least 3 cameras hanging out. Wonder if that is going to be good news or bad?

"Hey Rogue you okay?" She asked the Goth girl who was slowly trying to sit up.

"Yeah, ah think so" She answered in her thick southern accent as all the other came running up. " And I know were the Professor is!"

Bobby and Kurt helped Rogue aboard the X-chopper. A telephone call from Beast told them that he and Storm , thanks to them had been able to stop the hunt for mutants, for now anyway. Rogue told them and Beast over the phone, everything she had seen from Juggernaut´s memory. Apparently he had been let out and professor X had been locked in. She knew exactly were he was being held and how to get there.

The drugs S.H.E.I.L.D had given her was going out of her system fast, her body had still not recovered from the explosion. She closed her eyes and sighed, she could probably sleep now, at least for an hour or two...

* * *

When she opened her eyes again she found herself in a dark room in one of the softest bed she had ever been in. she wanted to lay there forever and ever...

Then suddenly the light was turned on and she quickly closed her eyes.

"Turn it of..." She complained.

"Well Jubilation I am so happy to see that you are awake!"

"Blue?" She asked and blinked a few times trying to adjust her sight. "Were are we?"

"The only place that was not completely destroyed my dear" The blur furry doctor answered. "The lower levels"

"How long was I out?" Jubilee slowly sat up.

"31 hours to be exact" Hank smiled and looked at his watch.

"31 hours!" So much for the one or two hour theory.

"Your body needed the rest, you used allot of power back in New York, your energy had not recovered"

"Is everyone...?"

"Everyone is okay, no need to worry" Hank smiled. "I will go and tell them that you are up and get you something to eat, you must be starving"

"Thanks Blue" Jubilee smiled back and lied back down. She had just noticed that she had been dressed in a medical nightgown and that the uniform that she had been given by Fury was folded on a chair beside her.

She slowly reach out for the vest and opened one pf the four pockets on it, picking up what looked like a small piece of metal with a black button on it.

"_Once everything is over and if you are okay you will press this. We will know were you are and you will have 2 hours. That is the deal"_

She pushed the button, throwing it across the room in pure anger. She put her arm over her eyes as she felt the tears falling down. But at least they were all safe... that was the important thing, they were all safe.

* * *

After getting something to eat she dressed in the S.H.E.I.L.D uniform not having anything else around. She then walked upstairs to the ruin of what use to be her home. It was still standing, it was missing some walls and almost completely burned but otherwise. She had been given a bag and told to go and see if she could save anything from her room before the reconstruction started. After that the Professor wanted to talk to her, no surprise there.

She made it too her room and opened the door to find the walls almost completely black. The furniture was ruined along with her cloths. Her jewelry had survived but the box they had been in had seen better days. Most of her books and Mangas looked alright, her room had not been the one hit hardest. Her movie collection had survived, it seem it could live through anything. But most importantly her photo albums were unharmed.

She kept them under the bed and they all seemed fine, much to her relief, to her they were her life. She also find some other small things she could take, the rest she decided could be replaced later.

She walked outside with her bags feeling the cold evening air hit her face. She glanced at a watch she had borrowed from Hank. 6 minutes to go.

"Wow you found allot!" Amara said as she spotted Jubilee. All the X-men were outside searching for things in the house, which could be called outside or just trying to enjoy the evening.

"Mostly books and movies" Jubilee smiled and walked over to the small group of X-men.

"I´m glad it went well for you" Professor Xavier said as she put the bags down.

"So am I, listen Professor could I talk to you, its kinda important"

"Of course, I thought you wanted to rest some more but if you feel up for it"

"It´s not about my powers professor, its..."

"Look a chopper!" Jamie called and pointed towards a black helicopter that was trying to land somewhere safe.

"It´s S.H.E.I.L.D" Logan growled. "What the hell do they want? They knew about this whole mess and didn't help at all, Fury better have a good reason"

"They did help Logan" Professor X said. "They saved Jubilee and provided the information so that you could be saved"

"They could have done more, though I´m surprised Fury even did this much"

The helicopter landed and and Fury stepped out along with a pack of soldiers. Jubilee could not help but wonder if Anderson was there, scaring him was what she had looked forward too.

"What do you want Fury?" Logan asked as the man walked up to them.

"Nice to see you too Logan, glad your safe" The sarcasm in his words were not hard to pick up on.

"Save your grace for someone else" Logan growled. "You don't have any business here!"

"As a matter of fact I do" Wolverine looked like he was ready for a fight but Fury remained completely calm. "Not many people know me well Logan, but you know me well enough to know that nothing I do is for free, that includes the information I gave in order to save you and the others"

"You came here to demand payment?" Professor Xavier asked sounding rather shocked.

"Not really I came here to pick up the payment" He smirked and turned his eyes towards Jubilee. "You see Miss. Lee and I made a deal, if I gave her the information needed to save you I would have her service's for a year"

"What?!"

"Logan please calm down" The professor said and Jubilee was pretty sure he was holding the Wolverine back from attacking Fury. "Jubilation is this true"

"Yes" Jubilee answered. "He gave me the information and let me go to help, and to repay I will..."

"Be serving under me for one year, not a day less or more starting tomorrow" Fury finished her sentence. "Everything has already been signed, there is nothing you can do Logan"

"But you cant just take her!" Bobby suddenly said and went to stand by Jubilee´s side.

"Yeah" Amara fallowed along with the rest of the X-men.

"Why should we let her go with you?" Kitty asked.

"What are you going to do with her?" Jean glared.

"I can assure you she will not be harmed in anyway" Fury answered looking the Professor like he was ignoring the others. "Before I put her to work I will make sure she is trained in order for the missions she is going to get"

"Yeah like we are letting her go just because you said that" Kurt said crossing his arms over his chest.

"Guys" Jubilee suddenly said and looked up at them with a smile. One of her big trademarks smiles. "Its okay, I made this deal by my own will. I knew what it was, one year of my life in order to save you, I can live with that. Just make sure to make my room just the way it was and I will be back before you know it"

Amara sighed but smiled at her friends giving her a hug.

"I´m gonna miss you"

"I´m gonna miss you all too" Jubilee said still with the smile. "That includes you Summers"

"Nice too know" Scott said and gave her a hug which was soon fallowed by the others. This was the second hug party she had been at in less then a week. First it was the **Jubilee returned from the dead thing **and now it was the whole **Jubilee going away for a year to a place were we cant reach her thing. **She did promise to e-mail and keep in touch so that they knew she was alive.

"Don´t start any trouble when I´m gone" She said as she took her bags and started fallowing Fury towards the helicopter. She smiled at Logan whom she suspected was still under the Professors influence. "That one goes especially for you Wolvie"

She got in the helicopter and the doors closed way to soon. She sat down by one of the small windows forcing a smile on her face as she waived goodbye.

When she could no longer see them her smile died.

"Don´t worry" Fury told her. "A year pass by faster then you think"

"Perhaps when you have lived for a 100 maybe yeah"

"You are not going to make this easy are you?"

"Depends on hos you define easy" A smirk appearing on her face as he once again looked out the window.

Pietro was out there somewhere. This things was party his fault and if she ever saw him again she would make him pay for it. Beat him up and yell at least.

But deep down inside the only thing she wished for was that he was fine, that he was safe and that she would see him again.

If she continued this Jekyll and Hyde way of thinking she would probably end up in an asylum at the end of this year.

If she just knew that he was safe that would make it easier... so much easier.

She sighed and looked up at the sealing. 1 hour and 15 minutes to go give of take, wonder if she was allowed to know the exact position of the base. She glanced over at Fury, probably not.

Well home is were the heart is...the only problem was that she had left hers behind.

* * *

_**Note:** I´m SO sorry for not uppdating sooner! My life has been a real battle field lately, so surviving has been priority number 1:P_

_**Note 2:** I promise too write more as often as soon I get the chance, hope you guys still want to read, once again sorry!_


	12. Ignorance

**Chapter 12**

Ignorance

_The same tricks that, that once fooled me  
__they won't get you anywhere  
I'm not the same kid from your memory  
well, now I can fend for myself_

* * *

The Asian girl sighed as she looked up at the angry sky. The rain was pouring down; turning the ground underneath her into mud and making her hair cling to her face. She saw no use in using her powers to dry off, she would get wet in a matter of seconds anyway. She looked back at the small group of men standing behind her waiting for the helicopter to come and pick them up. Sheild might be good at many things but being on time was not one of them, at least not when it came to picking up soldiers after a successful mission. When the mission had gone bad she had noted that someone always picked them up right away, probably so that the higher officers would get more time to scream and stamp their feet.

"Finally!" One of the men behind her said and she once again looked up, the helicopter was in sight.

It had been eleven months and three weeks since she had left her home. She had counted down the days in the beginning but that had just made the time go even slower. She could not claim that she had been treated badly, her room was nice, she liked the food and even the people, perhaps not everybody… but it had been allot better than her life on the streets. The missions at first had seemed hard but as Fury had said she had promised she had been trained by the best and soon everything had become a routine.

She had refused to kill, she had done everything else they wanted but not that, she was pretty sure she would be able to, but if she wanted to return home and be able to look her friends in the eye she could not. X-men do not kill.

She woke up from her thoughts as the small device in her inner pocket started to buzz. She reached inside the dark blue vest and put it lightly against her ear, you never knew if the person on the other side was going to yell or just talk normally.

"Yes?"

"You´re suppose to answer Agent Lee"

"Agent Lee"

"Too late, report to my office once you get back"

"For that?"

"Don't be dumb"

With that he hung up and Jubilation Lee leaned back. She knew what he wanted, she was going home soon, a big smile spread across her face as the sun started to appear behind the dark clouds. Soon she would be home.

* * *

"When will she be here?" Amara asked as she put out another bowl of snacks on the already full table. "Perhaps we overdid it"

"Of course not!" Bobby smiled. "She loves junk food, snacks and candy; even a year with Sheild can't take that away"

"She should be here soon" Jean answered Amara´s first question. "The Professor had spoken to Agent Fury earlier and he said 3 o clock"

"Then they have about five minutes still" Hank´s voice said from behind them. "You have all waited one year and still the last minutes are always the hardest"

"Everyone is here!" Kitty announced as she and Rouge came out to the backyard.

The only one who did not join in on the excitement was Wolverine. He was standing by the mansion holding a beer looking at the sky. What the hell was taking them so long?

He should have never let him take her, he could fool many but Logan knew Fury, knew him to well. One year would not be enough, he would let her come home as he had promised but it would not take long before he came for her again. He hoped she was okay, that whatever Fury had sent her on she had been able to handle, she had already seen much in her young life but there are something´s you can never get use to.

"She will be alright Logan" The Professor slowly came over. "Fury would not dare to bring her back is she was not"

"I hope you´re right Chuck" he sighed and looked down. "I really hope you´re right"

"Look!" Kurt´s voice was heard. "They are here!"

"Why don't they just use cars?" Scott asked.

"Because they don't have to" Logan answered as he and the professor joined the rest on the lawn as they looked up at the small chopper that was approaching. "Come on move away I´m not picking up any arms just because you kids can't control yourselves". The X-men moved back making room so that the Sheild chopper could land.

* * *

"Why couldn't we just have used a car?" Jubilee asked. "We have plenty"

"Stop complaining" Fury answered. "Next time we´ll get a car". Jubilee chose to ignore the next time. She did not want to think about anything else then getting home. For the first time in forever she was not wearing a piece of cloth with the Sheild logo on, she had convinced Fury to let her go into a town and do some shopping before coming home, he had also suggested a hair cut since her hair had become so long so that she could now sit on it, she had ignored him. She had bought a short red skirt, a long white tank top and a red jacket to wear over the tank top. The red boots were new as well as was the make-up that was now on her face. She did not want to look like a beaten soldier when she came home.

"I can see them!" She could not help but say it out load as she looked down on the house that she called her home and the people she considered family.

"You´re not a child agent" Was the reply given but Jubilee did not care.

When the chopper started to land it had not yet touched the ground before the seventeen year old had open the door and was on her way out, however a strong hand stopped her by grabbing on to her jacket.

"It´s a miracle you haven't gotten yourself killed yet" her know former boss muttered. He waited until the copper had landed properly before letting her go. She had been kept alive without any major injuries up until know so he would be damned if the first thing she did coming home was breaking something.

"Jubilation!" Storm threw her arms around her student. "Look how you´ve grown, I have missed you child" Jubilee did not get a chance to say anything back as everyone wanted to welcome the firecracker back at the same time. She was not sure who she was hugging and who said what but she was just happy to be home.

As the evening went on Jubilee tried to remember the last time she had smiled this much. Probably on her sixth birthday when her father had bought her a horse, yes she had been spoiled. No one had asked her about her time with the Sheild, she suspected Wolverine and the professor had something to do with that. They talked about everything else though, giving her updates about anything and everything. Bayville High had let them come back even though they knew that they were mutants, it had not been easy though, Principal Kelly had been strongly against it, he was now trying to be elected major and was driving an anti-mutant campaign. The Brotherhood had however not been welcomed back to school, they were still living in their house in Bayville, doing God knows what, as Kitty put it. At the mentioned of the Brotherhood Jubilee´s heart jumped a little, at the mentioned of Pietro her heart started to race, she ordered it to stop but would it listen? No… he was apparently in charge of the Brotherhood now, taking and giving orders directly from Magneto. His sister Wanda had stopped her quest for revenge against her father and lived with her brother and the others, why she had stopped they did not really know but the professor had decided it was for the better.

"I can't believe your home!" Amara kept hanging on her neck, like she was trying to make sure that she would stay.

"But I am" Jubilee smiled at her.

"We have prepared you´re room, it´s almost like it was before"

"Thank you, can´t wait to see it" That was true she was getting really tired, mostly because her inner clock told her that she had to be up at five the next morning.

"So when are you going back to school?" Bobby asked showing everyone the hot dog he just put in his mouth.

"Bobby that´s gross!" Amara protested.

"Actually I´m finished" Jubilee said, remembering that they probably did not know that. During her year at Sheild she had gotten private classes, again with some of the best and she had managed to graduate high school.

"What?" Jean looked at her.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"I graduated two month ago actually"

"You did??!" The group looked shocked, okay she had not been the best student at Bayville High but she was not as bad as they seem to think.

"Well yeah, what can I say? They got good teachers at that place, I even got straight A´s"

"Wow…do you think they would ever consider taking me in?" Bobby asked, it was quiet for awhile before everyone started laughing, including the Iceman himself. Jubilee leaned back against the chair and accepted the piece of cake Storm offered her. Somehow it felt like everything was alright. She ignored the memory of the white haired boy´s touches, of his words, everything, the real question was, for how long could she ignore it?

* * *

I´m at my final year and final semester in college...So yes I blame school, I have not have any time over for this, I will be better! Well I will try, still have to study tough. Well hope you enjoy:D


	13. I will not Bow

**Chapter 13**

I Will Not Bow

_I will not bow, I will not break  
I will shut the world away  
I will not fall, I will not fade  
I will take your breath away__!_

* * *

The day´s past by much slower then Jubilee had expected. She was done with high school and if she wanted to go to college early, like the professor and Storm suggested, she would have to wait for the next semester or she would too far behind in all the classes. There was really not that much to do and Jubilee started to feel bored, it was the same feeling she had when she first came to the school for gifted youngsters. She had been on the street for years, something always happened it was never quit and then suddenly you are away from the big apple, living in a mansion and not allowed on the main team, of course she had been bored! She had actually been upgraded to the main team but since the world was still trying to adjust to the fact that they existed, the X-men were keeping a low profile. So after spending a year with Sheild having a mission almost every day along with classes and training normal life just seemed so…dull.

The first week had been a vacation, she had loved being able to stay in bed, even though she still woke up early, she had loved just lying on the sofa watching TV and spending time with her friends, going to the mall again. She was really happy to be home, she really was, she just wanted something to happen!

"How about a job?" Hank´s voice suddenly said making her jump almost spilling her soda.

"What?"

"You have seemed rather down lately, and if I am not mistaken it is because of boredom"

"Well yeah something like that" Jubilee admitted leaning back in the kitchen chair.

"I just thought that since you can't apply for college yet, maybe you want to get a job, something to help pass the time"

"That´s actually not a half bad idea" She smiled at the fury blue man. "I wouldn't have to go crazy and I could make my own money…what does the professor say?"

"Who do you think sent me down?" Hank smiled. "We all know what happens when you get to bored"

Jubilee blinked slowly; actually they did not know the half of it. The last time she had been this bored she had ended up in Pietro´s bed more than once.

"I think a job would be perfect" She decided. "Actually I think I will take a trip down town, grab a paper and look around right away"

"Marvelous idea" Beast said. "The professor said you could take the black BMW"

"He knew? I thought he couldn't read my mind that easily"

"Sometimes Jubilation people´s actions can be foreseen without any powers"

* * *

Getting a job was not easy, Jubilee knew that. But even if she did not find one, she at least had something to do looking for one. She had parked the car by the mall and was now walking down town with her nose stuck in the wanted ads. There was a bookstore hiring extra help, a muffin store needed a baker and an old lady needed help with walking her five dogs. That was the jobs she would try and get today, but even after five minutes she removed the walking five dogs work, she was really more of a cat person.

She left her information at the bookstore and the little muffin shop after talking to the owners, it had sounded very promising and they both said that they would give her a call the following Monday. Before heading home she decided to have a look around the mall, you never knew if someone decided they needed an extra hand. Her plan was to just look for wanted signs outside the stores but before she knew it she was trying on clothes, and before she left each store she was carrying a bag.

"I really hope they call about work" She mumbled to herself as she headed towards the car. She had just put the shopping bags in the back and closed the door when she heard a high pitch scream.

"What the…" She turned around to see someone hopping out of the mall, yeah that´s right, hopping. "Oh no…"

"Police brutality! Police brutality!" The all too familiar shape yelled as he made his way down the parking lot. He stopped when he saw Jubilee and stood up strait to get a good look at her. "Hey don't I know you?"

"Where is he?!" An angry voice echoed as one of the mall´s security guards came running out.

"Get in!" Jubilee whispered and jumped in the car the boy followed without a word. Luckily for them the guard missed the scene and they could leave without any sirens trying to get them. "Why do I always do this?" Jubilee asked herself out load.

"Hey I remember! You are the X-chick who blew up that sentinel!"

"Congratulations you win absolutely nothing Toad"

"Jubilee, right? Well thanks anyway, anyone else of those things would have just left me"

"Those things?"

"X-men"

"Right…" Jubilee cursed herself for not just leaving him. "What was it about anyway?"

"Nothing I swear! I was hungry and you know the sign said free cookies"

"Free cookies or ONE free cookie?" She remembered walking by in the food corner taking one herself.

"Well they should write it bigger"

Jubilee just sighed and started to head for the Brotherhood boarding house. She wanted him to get out as soon as possible or she would have to explain the strange smell in the car to the others. Besides there was no way in hell she would see HIM… she would just stop the car, push out the Toad and go home. Yep no problem at all, the windows where tanned after all and it was getting pretty dark outside. So what if Toad mentioned her? She had a right to be home and she had no obligation what so ever to inform HIM that she was back…right? She stopped the car and looked up at the old house.

"Taxi stops here" Jubilee said and nodded for the toad to get ut.

"Yeah well I owe you one"

"No you don't" Jubilee hurried to say. "Just start showering two times a year or something"

"Hey it was not like you saved my life!"

"Goodbye Toad!" The door slammed and traffic laws were broken and Jubilee hurried to get away as fast as she could.

Damn her heart for beating so hard! Had she actually been hoping to see him? Hell no! She was going home right now and strait to her room!

* * *

"Where have you been?" Lance looked up from the paper he had been reading when Toad came jumping through the open window.

"The mall" Was the reply. "Needed some cash" He emptied his pockets on the kitchen table reviling two wallets, some change and three half eaten cookies.

"Nice catch" Toad ignored Lance sarcasm and started to go through the wallets.

"Hey that X-chick is back"

"Which one?"

"The powerful one, you know the one who blew the sentinel up"

"Who blew what up?" Pietro asked as he entered the kitchen. "We´re not getting money to renovate this dump just so you idiots can destroy it"

"Relax little king" Lance once again looked up. "No one has destroyed your castle"

"Well anyway she´s back, you should have gone after that one instead of Kitty" Toad continued.

"Excuse me?" Lance raised a brow.

"Yeah well she´s not as tight up, she even gave me a ride. Nice break from having to run from the mall cops all the way home"

"Why don't you just mind your own business Toad"

"Hey I´m just trying to be helpful here, maybe you could get that stick out your ass if you were in the dating game again"

"Shut up or die"

"Who are you talking about?" Pietro asked sitting down talking a sip from his coke.

"That X- chick, Jubilee" Pietro did not say a word he just blinked.

"She is?" He still did not move, actually he did not do anything at all, for the first time in a long time the speed demon did not move a muscle. He just sat there looking straight forward out the window into the darkness. His two teammates did not seem too noticed. Lance had his nose back in the paper and Toad was busy destroying family photos. A few minutes went by and Pietro was finally able to return to reality and stand up, he was up in his room in less than a second locking the door behind him. She was back? When had she come back? Why had she come back? Where the hell had she been? And why the hell did he react this way?!

He took deep breath and laid down on the new king size bed. Why did he have to care at all? Why had her name made him freeze like that? He hated this; he hated her for making him feel like this, and he was so reveled to know that she was safe and fine, and he hated that even more.

* * *

Jubilee´s heart did not stop pounding. She noticed the looks Wolverine gave her, it had to sound like small bombs to him, but she just smiled and continued to eat. What was she suppose to say? I am sorry I´m thinking about the enemy's son and my body is reacting to it? She wondered if he had been told… if Toad had opened his big mouth, but perhaps he hadn't mentioned her name. But he had remembered it…

Why was she so nervous? He should not mean anything to her; maybe it was just her hormones acting up? It would be natural, it had been year since she had… it was the hormones her mind decided, she was seventeen of course it was.

"Jubilee!" She looked up from her plate to find everyone looking at her, apparently that was not the first time her name had been called.

"Yes?"

"Are you alright?" Amara asked.

"Yeah, I´m sorry I was just… lost in my mind, scary place. Take my advice, do not vacation there" She smiled.

"Oh, well we were wondering if you would like to come to the mall with us tomorrow?" Jean asked. "I need something for graduation.

"Of course, how could I say no to shopping?"

_To be continued_


End file.
